Fire Emblem Resurrection: Beneath a Starless Night
by Astral Miracle
Summary: After a long and perilous journey to a distant world, Severa and Owain finally began making their way home to Ylisse, only to encounter one of the last people either had expected to see. Unwilling to leave their newest companion to fend for herself, the two Ylisseans find themselves swept along yet another journey while trying to unravel their companion's enigmatic past.
1. Disclaimer

Fire Emblem is the property of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, nor the characters or settings taken from it. This is a purely derivative work.

This story is rated T for themes of war and violence, alcohol use, mild swearing.

This story is set after my former Fire Emblem story, which in turn was set right after my novelization of Fire Emblem: Awakening, but it should not be necessary to read either to understand this story.

This story contains spoilers for Fire Emblem: Awakening, as well as mild spoilers for Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, and Fates. If I continue this story as I intend, it will eventually lead to greater spoilers and the inclusion of more characters from Fire Emblem: Fates.


	2. Prologue: The Trickster's Web

**~ Prologue ~**

 **The Trickster's Web**

Raindrops pattered relentlessly against the deserted cobblestone road, the only sound that could be heard along the streets of the small, sleepy hamlet. Most of the villagers had long since retreated into their humble, yet cozy homes. There was little to see or do outdoors, after all, for the moon and stars were peacefully tucked away behind a thick veil of stormy dark cloud and no torch could withstand the persistent rainfall for long.

It was, in other words, a typical Valmese autumn night.

A pair of weary and unfortunate travelers plodded on through the storm, for they had little choice, having only just arrived at the hamlet's borders. "Stupid Valmese weather," one of the two – a red-haired woman in her early thirties – complained. As she spoke, she shook her head in frustration, and droplets of water flew free from her two long pigtails.

"I thought you liked the weather when we were last passing through," her companion remarked. He looked approximately the same age as the woman, and was of roughly the same stature, too. His short, straw-blond hair gave him a childish look that clashed terribly with his exotic clothing, a menacing set of robes sewn from translucent dark veils and jaggedly cut black silks. He shrank away nervously when his companion turned and glared at him.

But the red-haired woman's expression softened as she looked down and her gaze met with that of the small child her husband was carrying. "Are you alright, sweetie?" she asked softly. "I'm sorry. I know it's cold out here."

The little red-haired girl only smiled happily. She hadn't even noticed the cold, swaddled as tightly as she was.

"Fear not, dearest Severa. Even the wrath of nature cannot bend the wills of the chosen ones," the little girl's father boasted, earning himself another pointed glare from his wife.

"Oh hush, Odin," the woman hissed, lowering her voice. "And don't call me that! It's Selena, remember?"

"Still?" Odin asked, frowning. "I thought you said…"

"Does this look like home to you?" Selena interrupted. "Now come on. We need to find a tavern or inn or something and get out of this rain." She flashed her young daughter a warm, reassuring smile, then turned and continued on down the nameless hamlet's main road.

* * *

Carefully concealed in the shadows of a nearby alleyway, a small, dark-haired urchin watched the two unusual travelers wonderingly. "Selena? Odin?" the young rogue whispered, confused.

After a long moment's consideration, the little street urchin decided against confronting the oddly out-of-place pair, at least for the time being. There would be time for that later, but for now, the evening's itinerary was already on the verge of being overloaded.

With a shrug, the rogue slipped free of the shadows, following the travelers openly and approaching the small Valmese hamlet's only tavern, seemingly without a care in the world.

* * *

Selena could almost feel thirty pairs of eyes rounding upon her as she stepped into the tavern. She sighed, and did her best to ignore the curious onlookers. Her finely tailored armor of thick padded cloth and thin, gleaming metal plates was bound to draw attention in the small farming villages of the countryside. The sword resting in its scabbard at her hip did not help matters; few in these parts would even know how to wield such a weapon. It was a comforting thought, in a way, but not comforting enough for Selena to be without her equipment.

Behind her, Odin held the door open a moment longer for a dark-haired child that had been walking right behind them. "Thanks, mister," the street urchin said politely, before carefully sliding past Selena and moving to join a particular rowdy group of burly men sitting in the tavern's farthest corner.

"Selena, can you watch Ophelia? I'll go speak with the tavern keeper," Odin offered.

Selena shook her head quickly. "No way. I'd like to get some food _before_ we all starve to death, thank you very much," she said. "Just find a table and sit down."

Odin nodded in agreement – for he knew better than to argue – then began scanning the room for an open table. The tavern was surprisingly crowded, but there was a small table free near the rowdy group in the corner. "Alas, our kind often finds ourselves without the freedom to choose," he lamented dramatically, though he was wise enough to keep his voice down so that only his daughter could hear. "What say you, my dear Ophelia? Can we endure the terrible ruckus that awaits us?"

Ophelia was too young to understand the flowery words – or any words at all, for that matter – and only giggled enthusiastically, enjoying her father's dramatic antics.

"It is as you say, daughter mine," Odin said with mock solemnity. He moved to the small table and seated himself, Ophelia still resting in his lap. Then he glanced over at the counter, but stopped when he noticed the small street urchin from before, who seemed blatantly out of place amidst the loud drunks and their card game.

* * *

"Might I play a hand or two?"

The largest and correspondingly loudest of the drunks looked up at the odd request. "Eh?" he asked stupidly, staring at the small child that stood beside the card-laden table.

"It looks like fun," the unassuming, dark-haired street urchin explained cheerily.

"Shouldn't you be home with your parents, boy?" one of the other drunks barked.

"Shut it, Dan," the largest man ordered, glancing warily at the tavern keeper, for he and his friends had learned on many occasions the price of growing too rowdy and rude. "This ain't for fun, boy," he then added, turning to the child that had dared to approach them. "There's good silver in this. You be a good lad and play with your little friends instead, alright?"

"Oh, I have money," the young rogue assured confidently.

"You can keep your dirty coppers to yourself," the large man grumbled, losing his patience.

A small drawstring bag landed on the table, and a few shiny, golden coins rolled out. "My money's not dirty!" the rogue protested. "See?"

The drunken farmers exchanged surprised glances.

Then the largest man, who appear to be the ringleader of the group, smiled. "My mistake, Master…" he began in a leading tone.

"Robin," the young rogue offered brightly.

"Pull up a seat then, Master Robin," the man said, smiling and showing off his crooked, yellow teeth.

* * *

"Of course you chose a table beside the loudest patrons to this tavern," Selena said exasperatedly. She set down the two large bowls of stew she was carrying, then seated herself across from her husband and daughter.

"It was the only table left," Odin said absently, eyeing the ongoing game of cards.

"I wonder why," Selena intoned dryly. Only then did she notice her husband's fixation upon the next table's activities. "Odin? Is something wrong?" she asked, her snarky demeanor slipping away.

"That little boy said his name was Robin," Odin mused.

"So what?" Selena asked uncaringly. "It's been, what, fifteen years since the Valmese war? Dad made himself quite the hero back then. I bet there's a hundred little Robins running around Valm by now."

"I guess," Odin conceded, as he finally turned his attention to the strangely lumpy stew Selena had brought him. "Still, it worries me. Those farmers seem like a boorish lot, and that boy can't be more than ten or so."

"Let his parents worry about him," Selena said dismissively, barely glancing at the child at the next table. "We have our own problems to deal with, remember?"

"I guess," Odin said again, his tone growing gloomy as he remembered their current predicament.

"Hey! None of that," Selena scolded. "Moping about everything is my job, remember?"

Odin chuckled. "As you wish, dearest."

Selena glared at her husband suspiciously, as if trying to decide whether he was being sarcastic or not. Odin simply smiled disarmingly, and with an incoherent grumbling noise, Selena finally settled back in her seat and began devouring her rather tasteless stew. She had only taken a couple bites, however, before Ophelia started to wriggle and writhe uncomfortably.

"Oh come on, don't be that way," Odin pleaded helplessly.

Selena rolled her eyes. "This is your fault," she informed him in a miffed tone. "Our little girl's sensitive, like her mom," Rising to her feet, she stepped around the table and plucked her daughter out of her husband's lap. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go see if the bard can play us a nice song instead, alright?"

Odin hid his laughter well as he watched Selena go. He knew his wife had a soft spot, carefully hidden beneath her surly, prickly exterior, but she seemed to be made of nothing but soft spots wherever their beloved daughter was concerned.

* * *

"Damn you, Jaylen. Where do you keep finding these heaps of rat droppings you call hands?" one of the drunken farmers, the one called Dan, grumbled.

"Oh, shut your yap," the largest man and the dealer, evidently Jaylen, retorted. "You're up. Call it or fold, and quit holding up the game."

"Call it with a hand like this?" Dan said, shaking his head. "No way. I'm out." He threw his cards down to the table and leaned back in his chair.

"What about you, Master Robin? What's your play?" Jaylen said, rounding upon the newest and smallest player.

Robin fidgeted uncomfortably. The street urchin's stake hadn't diminished by much so far, given how disproportionate it was to the small piles of silver the farmers had been playing with. Still, the young rogue had yet to win a hand, and each of the farmers was at least a gold coin richer.

Finally, when he noticed Jaylen growing impatient, the young rogue pushed the remaining gold towards the center of the table. "All in," Robin declared, trying to sound confident.

Jaylen and the others blinked, startled. Even with their winnings thus far, not one of them had quite as much money on the table as the newcomer.

Then Jaylen began to laugh, and the others joined him. "Brave little man, aren't you?" he chuckled. "But you'd have to be, being named after the famous Ylissean tactician and all." He pushed the rest of his stake into the pot. "Alright, I'll let it ride," he said with a confident grin.

"Not me," the man sitting beside Jaylen said.

"Aw, come on. Don't tell me Jaylen and the runt have got you spooked," the next man chortled. He pushed his own remaining coins into the pot with confidence fueled by the knowledge that his remaining stake was smaller than anyone else's.

"You ain't about to fool me, Al," Jaylen said, his grin growing wider. "Unless you're even dumber than you look, those aren't winning cards you're holding. Not with the way you've been betting." He flipped his own cards over. "Read 'em and weep, friend."

"Or weed 'em and reap," Robin interjected with a wink.

The others stared in silence for several long seconds, trying to sort through the simple wordplay. Finally, Jaylen let out a hearty guffaw. "Clever boy," the brutish farmer congratulated. "But not clever enough. Listen, kid. If you want to bluff, you have to sound confident. Can't be quivering in your seat with your voice cracking, you know?"

"Really? But I had you fooled, didn't I?" Robin asked.

"Hah! You really think you had any of us…" Jaylen began, though he fell silent when he saw the young rogue's cards.

"Hmm… I doubt this'll all fit in my little pouch," Robin commented cheerily, inspecting the rather sizable pot. With that, the devious young rogue pulled forth a second and much larger bag, already partially filled with gold, to collect the coins lying upon the table.

* * *

"Hey, you there," Selena said, accosting a gruff old man with a flute. "Play us a song, alright? A happy one, mind you." As she spoke, she flipped a silver coin into a small, empty tray lying beside the man.

The old bard gave Selena and Ophelia a strange look, then shrugged indifferently, for he had few enough customers as it was. "As you ladies wish," he agreed. "What kind of song did you have in mind? A classic shanty about the pirates of the Abyssal Sea, perhaps?"

"No pirates," Selena interrupted immediately, for though Ophelia was far too young to understand what a pirate was, the little girl had burst into tears the last time they had listened to a bard sing of pirates.

"Very well. Something a bit more local, then? The Conqueror, the Exalt, and the Tactician, perhaps?" the old bard offered.

Selena cringed. "Umm… not that one, either," she said. "How about something a bit more lighthearted? A fairy tale or something like that?"

"As you wish," the old bard agreed, and he promptly began to sing. Only a verse into his song, Ophelia began nodding along with the tune, and Selena finally relaxed. Her gaze wandered as the bard continued his song, then settled upon the rowdy farmers and their card game.

Selena's eyes narrowed when she saw the farmers' dumbfounded looks, and the street urchin sweeping a large pile of coins into an even larger bag. The victorious child left immediately after, whistling cheerfully and seeming oblivious to the drunkards' greedy stares.

Sensing trouble, Selena turned back to the bard. "Excuse us for a moment, please," Selena interrupted sweetly, tossing another coin into the bard's tray.

* * *

"Owain," Selena hissed quietly, stooping down by her husband's side.

Odin, or rather, Owain, frowned. Recently, whenever his wife chose to use his real name, it meant trouble. Severa's expression made it clear that this time was no exception. "What is it, Severa?" he asked, keeping his own voice low. He winced, for at the sound of his own real name, he had used his wife's true name again, too. This time, Severa didn't comment on it.

"That little kid you saw earlier just cleaned out those farmers at their own game," Severa whispered hastily. "But that's not all. He's carrying a lot of money on him, and the farmers know that now, too."

"So what?" Owain asked, uncomprehending.

The sound of four burly large farmers rising from their chairs answered his question in no uncertain terms.

Severa peeked over her shoulder nervously at the belligerent farmers. "Can you watch Ophelia? Take her back to that bard over there so he can finish his song for her, alright? That little kid might be an idiot, but he doesn't deserve whatever those farmers are about to do to him," she said.

Owain shook his head quickly. "You stay with Ophelia," he said, retrieving a tome from his satchel. "No harm shall befall that child while Odin Dark is at hand."

Severa hesitated for a moment. Then she nodded. "Alright, but stay safe," she pleaded.

"Of course," Owain promised, before setting off in the pursuit of the four farmers, ignoring the many curious looks leveled his way.

* * *

Once outside in the rain once more, Robin began moving down the street at a carefully measured pace. The tavern door opened again, and the urchin knew without looking back that it was the four brutish farmers. "Predictable," the young rogue muttered.

Robin came upon the quiet alleyway, and turned into it, unbothered by the apparent dead end. The young rogue moved about halfway down the alley, then turned to lean against one of the cobblestone walls, waiting patiently.

A few seconds later, footsteps echoed loudly down the alley as Jaylen and his friends rounded the corner. "You there," Jaylen growled.

"About time," Robin remarked lightly.

Jaylen and his friends faltered momentarily, taken aback by the child's seemingly unshakeable confidence. They rallied quickly, however, spurred on by their drunken fantasies of treasure and luxury. "You're thinking yourself clever, aren't you?" Jaylen sneered.

"Compared to you lot, surely, but that's not much of an achievement," Robin retorted.

Jaylen's face went red, though it was nearly impossible to tell with how fierce the storm had grown. "Why, you little…" he growled, hefting a heavy, disused table leg. He charged, swinging wildly.

The agile young rogue stepped away so quickly that to Jaylen, it looked as if his quarry had suddenly disappeared. The drunken farmer crashed into the wall with a loud groan. He felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, then slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Are we finished?" Robin teased, casually twirling a small sap before letting it fall to the ground.

The remaining three farmers had been hesitant before, but no longer. With a shared, outraged cry, they barreled ahead, bearing down upon the insolent child with a variety of improvised weapons.

* * *

"Behold the splendor of Odin Dark, and free yourself from the clutches of avarice and pride!" Owain roared, bursting into the alley and praying that he wasn't too late.

Instead of a pitched battle, he found the point of a gleaming silver blade mere inches from his face.

"Oh. It's you," Robin said, lowering the fine sword. The young rogue seemed to lose interest in Owain then, and resumed rummaging through the pockets of the fallen farmers.

"W-what do you think you're doing?" Owain gasped.

"Teaching these thugs a lesson," the dark-haired child replied calmly without looking up. "They've lorded over the rest of the village long enough, simply by being bigger and nastier than everyone else."

"Teaching?" Owain echoed, stunned. "You lured these men out here on purpose?"

Robin pulled a handful of silver coins from one of the thug's pockets, then frowned. "Righteousness doesn't pay very well, does it?" the young rogue remarked. "You shouldn't be here, Owain. Tonight's festivities are only just beginning."

"What festivities?" Owain asked, still trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Then Robin's words sank in. "Wait, did you just call me… how did you… my name…?" the blond-haired mage sputtered.

"It's written right on your sleeve, isn't it?" Robin pointed out. The young rogue giggled impishly as a shocked Owain hurried to examine his own undecorated sleeve.

When the urchin's trick became apparent, Owain scowled, unamused.

"Oh, lighten up," Robin said flippantly. A shadow flickered across the young rogue's expression. "And uh… you may want to look behind you."

"Have you never been taught to fear the dark? Trifle not with the mind that imprisons the world's deepest shadows," Owain scolded.

Robin burst out laughing. "Oh, Owain. That was amazing! I had almost forgotten how great an actor you are! But no, really, you should look behind you."

"You really should listen to the lad," a gruff voice drawled from somewhere behind Owain.

With an audible swallow, Owain turned to find a mountain of a man standing at the entrance of the alley. The brute was nearly the size of all four of the drunken farmers combined, and was nearly wide enough to block the alley's opening with his bulk.

"Uh… hello there," Owain stammered nervously. He leaned to the side to peer past the giant man, and spotted two more thugs waiting just a few steps further.

"Well met," the man greeted, speaking in a cultured accent, though any friendliness in his tone seemed to pale beside his intimidating appearance. "And well parted, if you please. The boy and I have some business to discuss."

"Captain Barkley?" Robin guessed.

"That's my name," the large man confirmed with a grin. "The roads were quite clear, I daresay, and it seems my friends and I have arrived a couple hours ahead of schedule. I hope that does not come as an inconvenience to you." His wicked grin belied his apparent politeness, making it perfectly clear that he was hoping to be as much of an inconvenience as possible.

Robin remained undaunted, and beamed happily at the menacing man. "Oh, not at all. I was counting on you showing up early, if you must know," the young rogue explained. "Why don't you head on back to the tavern, Owain? I'll catch up to you later."

"But…" Owain began to protest.

"Move along," Barkley insisted, dropping any pretense of friendliness. Then, as if to reinforce the message, he reached for the many-notched axe hanging from his strained belt.

In truth, neither the worn weapon nor the overbearing thug could scare Owain. He was a veteran of many wars and countless battles, trained with sword and spell alike, and he knew he could defeat a dozen such ruffians without breaking a sweat. No, what Owain found most unnerving was the child standing behind him, the inscrutable young rogue that he simply could not get a read on.

"Alright, I'm leaving," Owain relented, squeezing past Barkley and out of the alley while keeping an eye out for any sudden movements. Once past the massive man, Owain saw that there were not two, but six more of Barkley's men waiting in the street. More worried than ever, he smiled politely to hide his unease and began racing back towards the tavern.

* * *

As soon as the meddling blond was out of earshot, one of the thugs signaled to Barkley, who promptly rounded upon Robin. "Where is it?" he demanded, with no trace of his earlier pleasantness.

"I could ask you the same thing," Robin replied nonchalantly.

"Did you really think I'd bring such a prized trophy just to humor you?" Barkley sneered.

"I wasn't sure before, but I am now," Robin said. "Your most trusted men are with you, are they not? You would never have entrusted such a treasure to anyone else. It's in the sack slung across your back, isn't it? The one you're doing your best to hide."

Barkley's eyes widened, but he recovered his composure quickly. "Smart kid, eh?" he chuckled grimly. "So, tell me. How did you plan on walking away from this one?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Robin frowned, feigning ignorance. "You show me the sword, I'll give you the axe, and we can each go our separate ways. That was the deal, wasn't it?"

Barkley laughed ominously. Then he reached for the sack Robin had pointed out, revealing an elegant golden sword. Three polished tines were evenly spaced on each side of the blade, stretching from the center to the base, and the sword's guard was wrapped in worn, yet carefully treated, leather. "Here's the sword, then. Now, where's my axe?" Barkley demanded again.

Robin smiled agreeably and took a step back, nudging a hollowed cinderblock aside at the same time. Behind the cinderblock rested a long battle axe. The weapon's vibrant crimson sheen and coal-black edge stood out even in the darkened night. "It's all yours," the young rogue offered slyly, retreating several more steps.

At first, Barkley approached the legendary weapon cautiously, but when he spotted the axe's unmistakable design, he threw all caution to the winds, scrambling for it as if he could not wait to hold the axe of Valm's infamous Conqueror in his hands.

And in his haste, Barkley stepped straight into a pool of some slippery substance, losing his footing and falling flat on his face. With an angry roar, he looked up to see the devious urchin already fleeing, scaling the brick wall of the building at the end of the alley. More alarmingly, there came a soft, fluttering noise, and a dark blur descended upon the center of the crimson axe's shaft. Then, the weapon inexplicably lifted into the air, as if under its own power, and began drifting away.

"Get back here, you little trickster!" Barkley spat as he clambered to his feet. He approached the wall, stepping carefully to avoid the grease, only to find that his quarry was already out of reach. "Get him, you idiots!" the angry man shouted, turning to his men. "Gut that little rat, and anyone else who gets in your way!"

* * *

The thugs began storming through the village blindly with their weapons raised high. Their cagey adversary had long since disappeared into the night, but the brutes knew better than to complain to their ruthless leader. Besides, each and every one of them knew well the life of banditry; together, they had preyed upon small and hapless villages for years before their recent stint as mercenaries. Rampaging through the village's streets was an easy enough task.

Three of the six broke off from the others soon after, heading towards the town's market. The open marketplace would certainly be deserted by now, but some of the adjacent storefronts would still have goods in easy reach, the raiders knew. But they hadn't gone far before one of the men spotted a flickering shadow ahead of them near one of the small side streets.

"Here now, maybe we didn't lose the little prankster after all," one of the three rasped.

"Careful. Watch for more of that slippery stuff the boss tripped on," another warned, as his two companions turned the corner.

"Hah. Like that trick would work twice," the third man chortled. He hefted and lit an oil lantern as he went, illuminating the cobblestone road and the coat of shining liquid glistening atop it. "That brat really thinks us stupid, doesn't he?" he grumbled, shaking his head.

"Hang on a second, that's the axe we're looking for, ain't it?" the first man interrupted, as he spotted something drifting further down the street, about three feet up off the ground. "What's it doing there?"

"How's it flying?" the second man asked suspiciously. His companions had no answer for him, and the three only exchanged puzzled looks before stepping carefully across the slick ground. Sure enough, they found the same crimson axe they had seen earlier, hovering in the air as if it were waiting for them.

But when they were a mere five feet away, the axe suddenly surged towards the man carrying the lantern. The thug yelped in surprise and tried to take a step back, only to slip and fall to the ground. His lantern shattered, and the flickering flames leapt hungrily to the thin layer of lamp oil coating the road.

The three thugs shouted out in surprise, but before long, their panicked screams turned to cries of agony.

* * *

Not far away, the remaining three thugs heard their companions' screams and spotted the glow of the flames rising up over the stout and drab homes. They exchanged nervous looks.

"They found the boy," one of the three offered hesitantly.

"Did they, now?"

The three men shivered as they turned towards the source of the amused remark, spoken in such a soft and childish voice. Sure enough, the little dark-haired urchin was perched lightly atop a nearby straw rooftop, holding a small bottle that was burning ominously.

"Catch," Robin offered, grinning playfully.

The flaming bottle soared through the air, slamming into the nearest of the three men and setting him ablaze. The remaining two cried out in terror. Then, abandoning their companion, they turned and fled, wanting nothing more to do with their cunning adversary.

Robin paid the fleeing thugs little attention, and instead began scanning the adjacent streets. It didn't take long for the young rogue to spot Barkley's distinguished silhouette making a painfully obtuse attempt to approach unnoticed. "Does he really think he's being stealthy?" the young rogue whispered derisively.

The urchin considered ending the laughable excuse of a pursuit then and there, but almost immediately decided against it. It would have been easy enough, but where would the fun of that be? With a shrug, Robin turned and stepped lightly across the roof, then slid down to the quiet cobblestone road below.

"Hah!" Barkley roared triumphantly, coming around the corner at exactly the right moment. "Insolent rat! You've got nowhere left to run!"

Robin feigned a startled look, then backed away in mock terror, stumbling and falling to the ground. "Okay, I surrender!" the young rogue pleaded.

"Where's my axe!?" Barkley demanded, hefting his own unimpressive weapon. "And no more of your tricks!"

"I don't know," Robin babbled frantically. "My partner took it, but I'll get it for you. Just let me…"

"You don't know?" Barkley sneered, raising his weapon higher.

"No, wait! Please don't hurt me!" Robin pleaded. "Look, I can give you something else. Something even more valuable!"

"Really, now?" Barkley growled, sounding unimpressed.

"Really," Robin insisted. Then, careful not to make any sudden moves, the young rogue produced an old book bound in red cloth. "See this book? This used to belong to a famous Ylissean tactician, the same one who helped defeat Walhart the Conqueror," Robin explained, before opening the book and offering it to the large man.

Still suspicious, Barkley made no move to accept the offering, and only peered at it skeptically. The book's pages were covered in neatly scribed, yet inscrutable runes. "You're daft, boy. What use would I have for an old book?" he grumbled.

"It's plenty useful," Robin assured. "Didn't you see the bottle of fire I tossed to your friends?"

"Any idiot knows that drink burns," Barkley scoffed.

"Sure, but did you see a torch or lantern up on that roof? Or anything else I might have used to light that bottle?" Robin asked leadingly.

Barkley stared stupidly at the rogue. He knew that no torch could have held up to that night's storm for long, and saw clearly that the young urchin carried no lantern, but could not quite see the relevance in it.

Then the book began to glow with power, and Barkley understood his mistake.

* * *

Once beyond the village's gates, the two bandits who had escaped the carnage paused to catch their breath. They looked back at the village uneasily, wondering what to do next.

"You think the boss is okay?" one of the two wondered aloud.

"How should I know?" the other grumbled, for with the adrenaline wearing off, he was beginning to understand that their entire band had been outsmarted by a mere child. "Let's go."

"Go?" the first man echoed in surprise. "We can't go back to the camp without the boss!" His words had their desired effect, for his surlier companion paused and seemed to reconsider.

"Forget the boss," the second man finally snarled. "I ain't sticking around to see the villagers wake up angry. Not after being chased off by some stupid little boy."

A loud, leathery flapping noise interrupted their conversation. Both of the thugs cried out in surprise as something large landed only a few feet away from them, and a jet of hot air, accompanied by an awful stench, blew past.

"Two fine gentlemen such as yourselves being chased around by a child? That must be quite the tale," a cheerful feminine voice remarked.

Neither of the thugs paid the mysterious speaker any attention, for they were fixated instead upon her mount. "DRAGON!" the two finally screamed in unison. They promptly turned and bolted, no longer afraid of angry villagers or devious street urchins. Unfortunately, neither managed to take more than a few steps before their pursuer swept them off their feet.

"She's a wyvern, actually," the wyvern's red-haired rider corrected patiently, though neither of her two victims were listening. "And she'd rather be addressed by her name… right, Minerva dear?"

The wyvern screeched her approval, and at that, both of the captured thugs passed out cold. The wyvern's second rider, a slender, dark-haired Chon'sin man, made no move for his weapons, knowing that his help wouldn't be needed.

Certain that the bandits would no longer pose a threat, the wyvern's beautiful rider turned her attention to the sleepy hamlet instead.

"This does not bode well, Cherche," the dark-haired, soft-spoken man remarked.

"No, it doesn't," the red-haired wyvern rider agreed. "The duke may have been right in thinking this a trap." As she spoke, she glanced over her shoulder and past her companion, her sharp eyes easily spotting Duke Virion and his entourage, who were still following close behind.

* * *

When Robin finally arrived at the village square, panting for breath and dragging Barkley's beaten, burned, and unconscious form, an angry and familiar voice rang out.

"That's him! That's the little runt who robbed us!" Jaylen slurred.

Robin grimaced. Despite the late hour and the horrid weather, the village square was quite crowded. Many were patrons of the tavern, but there were several others who had been roused by the commotion, or perhaps the fire.

The tavern keeper, an old man named Dawson who had owned and operated that same tavern for nearly three decades, peered down at the child doubtfully. Then he realized what the street urchin was dragging across the road. "Who is that?" he gasped.

"Who? Him?" Robin said, making a big show of looking down at Barkley's prone form. "This is Captain Barkley of the Barkley Mercenaries. He and his band sacked a couple of villages just like yours last year, I heard."

Dawson flinched, recognizing the name. "This is Captain Barkley? Truly?" he asked doubtfully. The child spoke truthfully, if incompletely; the Barkley Mercenaries had made quite a name for themselves after a rampage through countless smaller villages, culminating in an ill-advised raid upon Roseanne itself. After their defeat there, the so-called mercenaries had learned some humility, trying to make themselves less noticeable in their ruthless criminal pursuits.

Just then, a young farmer arrived at the village square. "Mister Dawson!" he cried, recognizing the elder and the informal town leader immediately. "We have visitors! Duke Virion himself is with them!"

"Of course he is," Robin interrupted cheerfully. "He's here to pick up the sword that Barkley stole, even if he doesn't know it, yet." The young rogue knelt down and claimed the elegant golden sword that Barkley had displayed earlier.

Dawson's mind spun as he tried to process the street urchin's words, but before he could make head or tail of them, one of his own neighbors reminded him of a more pressing matter. "Forget the sword! Give us back our coin, you little thief!" Jaylen roared, spittle flying with every word.

"Thief?" Robin asked, eyes wide with feigned innocence. "I thought I won your coin from you, fair and square."

"You beat us and robbed us!" one of Jaylen's friends argued.

But the other villagers had not been blind to the earlier commotion. "Say, isn't that the little boy who was playing with you fellows earlier?" one woman remarked.

"What, did you trip on your way home and decide to beg for your silver back that way?" another villager scoffed. "Just how much did you oafs have to drink, anyways?"

"Probably more than they could afford to pay for after losing all their money," another jeered.

"But… but that's… that wasn't…" Jaylen stammered helplessly.

"That's enough out of you and your friends, Jaylen," Dawson said decisively. "Get yourselves home and sleep it off, you hear? If the Duke really is here at this ungodly hour, the last thing he needs to see is you lot in this sorry state." He turned to face Robin once more. "As for you…"

He was interrupted then by a wyvern abruptly landing beside him. "Pardon the intrusion, good sir, but I believe I may be of some assistance in this matter," the wyvern's red-haired rider offered. "I am Cherche, humble servant to Duke Virion. You and your neighbors may return to your homes now and escape this abhorrent rain, if you wish. I assure you, the duke will attend to this matter personally, and will speak with your village's mayor in the morning before departing."

"Haven't got a mayor," Dawson grunted. He recognized the name of the duke's most well-known vassal, though, and the armored wyvern made the woman's identity clear enough. "But thank you nonetheless, Lady Cherche." With that, he gestured for the other villagers to clear the way. Before long, the street was almost deserted once more.

* * *

Cherche stared at Robin calculatingly for several long seconds before speaking. The street urchin met her stare evenly, smiling amicably and saying nothing.

"Is your name really Robin, dear child?" Cherche finally asked.

"Does it matter?" Robin said, answering the question with another.

"We knew it couldn't really be our Ylissean friend who sent us that letter, but we hardly expected it to have come from someone such as yourself," Cherche admitted. "And carrying the sword stolen from Chon'sin too, nonetheless. I wonder, what part does that grievously beaten body lying beside you play in all this?"

"Oh, that's easy. This is Captain Barkley, the leader of the men who broke into the palace of Chon'sin last month," Robin explained.

"Captain Barkley?" Cherche said, surprised. Then her expression grew thoughtful. "I see. And what of Emperor Walhart's axe? The letter you sent to the duke said that you could tell us more about those who broke into the treasury of Castle Roseanne."

"Ellie!" Robin called, looking up to the sky and whistling, as if summoning a pet dog, or perhaps a horse.

Without warning, the heavy crimson axe that had once belonged to Valm's infamous Conqueror seemed to fall slowly from the sky, landing lightly in front of Cherche, her riding companion, and her wyvern. Something roughly the size of a small bird detached itself from the center of the axe's shaft and flew over to perch itself on the street urchin's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I needed something to lure Barkley out," the young rogue explained apologetically.

" _You_ are the one who broke into Castle Roseanne?" Cherche's riding companion exclaimed in shock.

Just then, the sound of hoof beats against the cobblestone road announced the duke's arrival. A tall, middle-aged man with long blue hair and posh clothing rode into the square, accompanied by nearly a dozen mounted knights. The duke's elegant dress had been rendered far less impressive by the rain, but there was no mistaking the air of nobility about the man. "You believe this child to be our missing thief? You jest, my dear Lon'qu," Virion said.

"No, it's true," Robin admitted freely. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way. It was for a good cause, though, and you can have your axe back now."

Virion, Cherche, and Lon'qu exchanged questioning looks, before Cherche finally spoke once more.

"Where are your parents, dear child?" Cherche asked kindly.

"They're… not with me anymore," Robin said, shifting uncomfortably, and Cherche's expression became tinged with sympathy. "But here," the rogue went on brightly. "You can send this sword back to Queen Say'ri. This was her brother's sword, right? Tell her to take better care of it next time."

Surprised as she was, Cherche nearly missed catching the sword as it soared towards her.

"That's all you summoned us here for?" Lon'qu asked suspiciously. "To give us this sword and return what you stole?"

"And to hand this oaf over," Robin reminded cheerfully, lightly nudging Barkley, who groaned.

Cherche shot Virion a plaintive look, but she needn't have bothered; her duke fully shared her sentiments. "You are most gracious," Virion began gratefully. "Is there any way Roseanne might repay your service to us? Perhaps we could find you a comfortable home where you might be properly cared for."

"No thanks. I can take care of myself," Robin declined quickly. "But if you really mean to repay me… well, Queen Say'ri was offering twenty thousand gold for the return of her brother's sword, not to mention the sizable bounty you yourself placed upon Captain Barkley here six months ago. That seems to be a bit excessive, though; a mere five thousand will suffice."

Virion's expression hardened as the urchin's intent became clear. The modest sum hardly concerned him, but something about the child bothered him still. "I see. I've been wondering when the gold you asked us to bring would come up," he said thoughtfully. "You're a clever one, young Robin, or whatever your name might be."

"Why, thank you," the street urchin replied, dipping into a gracious bow.

"But this is no life for a child," Virion continued. He nodded towards the captured bandit. "Dealing with the likes of this man is quite dangerous."

"Hardly," Robin scoffed.

"As is breaking into castle treasuries watched over by armed guards," Virion said, pressing on smoothly. "I implore you, please return to Castle Roseanne with me. I am sure we can find a kinder and safer life for you there."

"Sounds boring," the young rogue commented lightly. "Sorry, but I think I'll pass."

Virion winced. The street urchin's indifference was unsurprising, to say the least. The Valmese War and the ensuing unrest had left behind thousands of such orphans, though this particular child seemed younger than most. Such children naturally had little faith left in their would-be rulers. Some would find their way, no doubt, but many others would one day become kindred spirits to the half-dead bandit lying at the young rogue's feet. "I'm afraid that was not merely an offer. You will return to Roseanne with us, where we can discuss this matter further," the duke declared firmly. "Lon'qu, please, collect our guest so that we might be out of this infernal rain."

The dark-haired swordsman obediently slipped down from the wyvern's back, but he had only managed two steps before Robin brandished a weapon his way, a polished silver longsword with a large emerald adorning its hilt.

"You do not want to do that," Lon'qu warned, looking past the weapon and taking note of the street urchin's uneven stance.

But someone else, a red-haired woman who had been watching curiously from the sidelines, recognized the child's weapon. "No, stop!" Severa cried, making her presence known.

Virion, Cherche, and the other knights turned to her in surprise. Lon'qu began to turn, too, but a flicker out of the corner of his eye drew his attention straight back. In one fluid motion, Lon'qu drew his own curved sword to meet his young challenger's charge.

Robin's glimmering weapon swept across horizontally with surprising speed and power as the young rogue suddenly adopted a far more comfortable fighting stance. Surprised by the sudden shift, Lon'qu nearly lost his grip on his sword after parrying the first strike. Then something blunt slammed into his ankles, and he found the ground fast approaching him. His sword clattered to the ground as he only narrowly caught himself.

"Lon'qu!" Cherche cried, drawing her axe.

But her opponent proved faster. The young rogue slashed the silver sword in her direction, and a wave of raw energy ripped by her, missing by only a few inches. The child's confident grin made it abundantly clear that the near miss was no accident. "Really, all this over five thousand gold? I thought I was being quite reasonable, too. Maybe I should have delivered the sword to Queen Say'ri myself instead," Robin remarked.

"That's enough!" Severa cried, drawing her own sword and rushing to stand between Robin and Lon'qu, the latter who was just beginning to rise with a murderous look in his eyes.

Virion regarded her curiously. He didn't recognize her, but could tell she was no local and found her appearance hauntingly familiar. "Very well," he agreed, signaling to Cherche, Lon'qu, and the other knights to stand down. "I must apologize. I feel like we've met before, my dear lady, but I cannot quite place your name."

"It's Selena," Severa said tersely, knowing that the duke would not recognize that name.

Virion frowned. "Perhaps I was mistaken, then. Lady Selena, do you know this child?"

"Nope," Robin spoke up quickly, before Severa could answer. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really should be on my way. Unless… I don't suppose there's any chance of you returning the sword so that I may deliver it to Queen Say'ri myself, is there?" the rogue asked hopefully. "I really could use the gold."

"That won't be necessary," Virion said with a heavy sigh. He retrieved a large pouch of gold from his saddlebags, and held it out to the child. "Five thousand. That is all that you asked me to bring, and thus all that I have with me, excluding a few coins to cover our travels. If you want more, I will gladly pay you the rest of the twenty thousand Queen Say'ri offered. All that I ask is that you return to Roseanne with me and hear me out. I will not keep you from leaving then, if you still wish to be on your own."

"That's generous of you, but this is all I need for now," Robin said, collecting the bag cheerfully. As the young rogue approached, the others caught a better glimpse of the strange creature riding on Robin's shoulder: a curiously metallic creature that resembled a silvery butterfly studded with small gemstones.

"Very well, but if you change your mind…" Virion began helplessly, but Robin was already walking away.

The duke and his retainers and knights watched silently as the young rogue marched away without looking back. The red-haired woman had started off immediately, following the child, and a blond-haired man, also oddly dressed and carrying a baby, stepped out of the tavern a moment later to chase after the two.

Virion then looked to Wolfberg, formerly the axe of Emperor Walhart the Conqueror, and Amatsu, formerly the sword of Prince Yen'fay of Chon'sin. Given the rumors, he should have been glad to learn that the stolen weapons had been retrieved, but at that moment, he could only wonder about the curious young rogue who had appeared and disappeared so suddenly.

* * *

"Sev – I mean, Selena, what's going on?" Owain whispered, as he and Severa followed the young rogue all the way to the village gates.

"I'm not sure, but I'm about to find out," Severa said grimly. Fed up with being ignored, she hastened her step to move past and stand in front of Robin. "That's far enough. What's going on here?" she demanded.

"Whatever do you mean?" Robin asked, eyes wide with feigned innocence.

Severa scowled, clearly unamused. "Why are you traveling under a false name? What's with the disguise? And what are you doing all the way out here in Valm?" she clarified impatiently.

"Those are some rather ironic questions," Robin commented slyly.

"Severa, do you know him?" Owain interrupted, astonished.

"Her," the young rogue corrected with a smile. She turned back to face Severa. "Long time no see, Sis."


	3. Chapter 1: Morgan

**~ Chapter 1 ~**

 **Morgan**

It took a moment for the young rogue's words to sink in, but when they did, Owain gasped. "Morgan?" The pieces fell into place all at once, and though Morgan appeared to be far younger than she should have been, Owain realized then it was definitely her. The strange shockwave Morgan had thrown from her weapon suddenly made sense, too, for the ancient sword was none other than Alondite, once the sword of Tellius's legendary Black Knight.

"Hello, Owain," Morgan replied brightly.

"Do I even want to know why you're here in Valm, trying to extort Virion for piddling amounts of gold while disguised to look less than half your age?" Severa asked wearily.

"Half my age?" Morgan echoed, wearing a puzzled expression. "All I did was dye and tie back my hair. Oh, and put on an oversized cloak…"

Severa's expression became one of utmost horror as she realized her mistake. "You're _that_ Morgan?" she shrieked hysterically.

"Oh, calm down, Sis," Morgan insisted. She weaved past Severa, who tried and failed to intercept her. "I can't stay here tonight. Why don't you two head back to the tavern? I'll catch up to you two in the morning," she suggested.

"No way!" Severa retorted, having no intention of letting her baby sister out of her sight.

Morgan sighed. "Suit yourself," she surrendered, before marching off towards the woods.

But Severa's patience had run out. She grabbed the younger girl from behind, spinning her around and only just resisting the urge to shake her up and down. "What's going on here, Morgan?" Severa asked again insistently.

Unintimidated, Morgan looked up at her oldest sister with a sly smile. "I'll answer your questions if you answer them first yourself," she offered. "What are you and Owain doing out here, in disguise and calling yourselves Selena and Odin? And why are you out here in Valm? Do you have any idea how long our sister spent searching for you two?"

Severa looked away guiltily. In hindsight, it seemed quite obvious that the older Morgan would have tried chasing after her missing sister and friend. "We… we had something that needed taking care of," Severa answered evasively, trying to hide her discomfort.

Morgan slipped free of her distracted sister's grasp, then rolled her eyes. "So, when you disappeared without a word to anyone, it's because you _had_ to, but when I left after telling Mom and Dad exactly where I was headed, I owe you an explanation?" she asked sarcastically.

"Mom and Dad know you're out here?" Severa asked skeptically.

"Sort of," Morgan admitted.

"What exactly did you tell them?" Severa pressed, scowling suspiciously.

"That I was going on an adventure," Morgan shrugged.

Severa groaned. "You're thirteen, Morgan! They probably thought you meant you were going across town! Not to another continent!"

"I'm almost fourteen!" Morgan protested, though her expression then grew sheepish. "Though, I was actually only eleven when I left," she added.

"YOU'VE BEEN OUT HERE BY YOURSELF FOR THREE YEARS!?" Severa yelled. "ARE YOU COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR MIND!?"

Morgan cringed. "Could you scream any louder? Sheesh," she complained. "And it's only been… two years and three months, I think."

Rendered speechless, Severa seemed to deflate, and could only stare at her youngest sister helplessly.

"Don't look at me like that," Morgan protested. "You did the same thing yourself!"

"I'm an adult. You are thirteen," Severa pointed out angrily.

"And when you were thirteen, you were living peacefully at home with Mom and Dad, right?" Morgan said, rolling her eyes again.

Severa stiffened. "When I was thirteen, my parents were dead, and I was training for a war that we couldn't hope to win," she reminded slowly, fighting to keep her voice steady. "And even then, I wasn't alone."

"I'm not alone, either," Morgan argued. As she spoke, she reached up and gently stroked the metallic butterfly resting on her shoulder. "Right, Ellie?"

The butterfly flapped its silvery jeweled wings lightly, as if to confirm Morgan's words, and Severa's face fell into her hands. "I mean _real_ friends, Morgan! Not this strange toy of yours!"

For the first time, the playful spark disappeared from Morgan's dark eyes, and the younger girl seemed genuinely angry. The butterfly began beating its wings furiously, too. "Ellie isn't a toy," Morgan hissed. "She's my best friend, and she's sensitive, unlike someone I know. And if you don't want to talk nicely, you and Owain can head back to your warm and cozy tavern and leave us alone. You should probably do that anyways, for the baby's sake."

"Morgan, wait," Owain tried to interrupt.

But Morgan was already walking away. "If you're heading back to Ylisse, say hello to Mom and Dad for me, but if you're on your way to disappearing again, don't worry about it. I can visit them myself when I finish my work here," she called. She spoke cheerfully, but there was a strained edge to her voice.

"No, stop! Morgan!" Severa called.

But the younger girl didn't stop, or even slow, and only plunged straight into the nearby woodlands, disappearing into the thicket.

Severa looked helplessly to her husband. Unsure of what to say, Owain could only tighten the warm wrappings around Ophelia and nod reassuringly, promising that he and Ophelia would be fine.

* * *

"Morgan, please, I'm sorry," Severa pleaded, pushing blindly through the woods, for she could no longer see her sister at all through the rain. "I'm sorry for calling your friend a toy. Just stop running away, okay?"

Morgan's ensuing laugh echoed eerily between the tightly clustered trees. "If I was running, I would have used my warp powder long ago," she pointed out. "I'm just looking for a good place to set up camp… ah, this clearing should do."

A moment later, Severa and Owain burst the small clearing, too, to find Morgan kneeling beside a small satchel. The girl pulled out a large leather tarp and handed it to the silver butterfly, who promptly soared up and stretched it between the taller boughs of two nearby trees.

"Thanks, Ellie," Morgan said absently, fishing through the satchel and retrieving a drying cloth, a fresh set of clothing, and a familiar black, violet, and gold coat. Without warning, she began to undress.

"Morgan!" Severa exclaimed, mortified.

Morgan glanced at her sister, amused. "Anyone watching would think you're the one new to the road, Sis," she remarked. "Here, Owain. For you and the baby," she added, pulling out a second drying cloth from her bag, as well as a thick blanket.

"Thanks," Owain said gratefully, and he busied himself with changing Ophelia.

"You should dry off and change, too," Morgan told her sister. "Well, unless you'd rather catch a cold."

Severa sighed, but relented quickly, realizing that Morgan was right. Before long, the four of them were comfortably dry, and Morgan set to work pitching a pair of tents. Only then did Severa notice something odd. Either of the tents alone was larger than the small satchel Morgan carried, and there was no sign of the bag of gold Virion had given Morgan earlier, either. "Morgan, how does all of that fit in your bag?" she asked.

"Magic. How else?" Morgan shrugged.

Severa grimaced, coming to the realization that Morgan, despite her young age, was more than adequately prepared for the open road. Far from offering her any comfort, that thought only inspired more questions. "Look, Morgan," Severa began. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I'm just…"

"It's alright," Morgan interrupted calmly. "Just be nice to Ellie, okay? And if it makes you better, I've been visiting Ylisstol once a year for Mom's birthday. I would visit for Dad's birthday, too, but he…"

"Doesn't have one," Severa sighed. "And they're alright with you being on your own? With… Ellie?"

"Probably not," Morgan said brightly. "I haven't seen them. The first time, I just left a letter and a few gifts on my old bed. The second time, Dad set tripwires all over the house, so I left everything with Uncle Chrom instead. He was busy and didn't even realize it was me until I was gone."

"But you've spoken with Morgan, right? The older one, I mean," Severa guessed.

"You noticed my sword, huh?" Morgan reasoned. "Yeah, I spoke with Morgan before I left. She didn't think it was a good idea, either, but she insisted I take her old sword with me at least. One of her swords, anyways. I've visited her a few times since, too."

That came as a bit of a relief to Severa, but only a bit; if anything, the older Morgan had been just as whimsical and twice as reckless as the girl standing in front of Severa now. "So why are you out here, then? Were you just trying to help Virion without word getting back to Mom and Dad?" Severa asked.

Morgan gazed at her sister speculatively. "If I tell you, will you tell me where you and Owain have been? Really tell me, I mean," she asked, with the air of a child begging for stories.

Severa and Owain exchanged glances. "I… can't," Severa admitted. "It's a long story, and there's a lot of parts that I can't talk about, so it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense."

Morgan didn't seem impressed.

"Our home called to us," Owain spoke up softly, drawing Morgan's attention to him. "Our forsaken homeland, lost to us forever, remained in desolation. We swore an oath to help another, in exchange for his promise to restore the place we could never return to."

"Hmm… that someone must be pretty powerful, if you trusted him to deliver something you'd never see for yourselves," Morgan remarked, parsing through Owain's dramatic speech easily enough. "I guess he made you promise not to tell anyone about what you did for him?"

"Not really. That's because of something else," Severa admitted.

"Something to do with Duke Virion's son, maybe? Morgan guessed shrewdly.

Severa and Owain exchanged worried looks, and Morgan knew her words had struck a nerve. "When Morgan was searching for you two, she followed your trail through Ferox. She ran into one of Inigo's old friends there, who told her that he and Inigo had gotten into an argument, and that Inigo then left with you and Owain," Morgan explained. "No one's seen Inigo since then, either."

"Inigo was with us," Severa admitted. "But he's… he's not coming back." She looked to Owain and swallowed, unsure of what else to say.

"He's alive and well, and happy, too," Owain added quickly. "But he won't be returning to us." His words were uncharacteristically simple despite his somber tone.

"I see," Morgan said thoughtfully. "I guess that's why you didn't tell Duke Virion who you really were. But, you know, if you two return to Ylisse, the duke will hear of it. He'll ask about his missing son,  
she pointed out.

"I know," Severa said tiredly. "I'm hoping I'll have a better idea of what to say to him by then." As she spoke, she thought of a letter tucked amidst the rest of her belongings. She knew she should have delivered it to the duke when she had the chance, but she simply wasn't ready for that inevitably difficult conversation. "So, what about you, Morgan?" she asked, changing the subject. "What were you doing in that town? Owain told me you were picking a fight with those drunks, and then suddenly you wound up with that old sword and axe."

"Oh, the drunks were completely separate. I've been staking out the town, and it bothered me how those brutes were bullying everyone else," Morgan explained offhandedly. "I just hope they've learned their lesson after making complete fools of themselves in front of their neighbors."

"You were stealing their money," Owain reminded accusingly.

"It wasn't really their money to begin with," Morgan said with an indifferent shrug. "I've seen them taking food from the old couple living at the edge of the town. I left some money at that old couple's doorstep before visiting the tavern earlier, with a note telling them to keep quiet about it. Actually, I think I left them more than I squeezed out of those brutes."

"A righteous and noble thief, then," Owain said approvingly.

"But still a thief," Severa scowled, evidently not sharing her husband's quixotic perspective. "So then what was that business with Virion?"

"That's a bit more complicated," Morgan began tentatively. "A little over a month ago, someone broke into Chon'sin Palace and stole Amatsu, the..."

"The sword that once belonged to Queen Say'ri's brother," Severa said impatiently. "But what does that have to do with you?"

"Emperor Walhart supposedly had a notable tactician of his own during the Valmese war. One of the lesser Valmese nobles claims to be the daughter of that tactician, and has been spreading these awful rumors. She's trying to convince everyone that Dad and Uncle Chrom came here as invaders, and that Queen Say'ri and Duke Virion were traitors," Morgan continued.

"Walhart's tactician?" Severa frowned, vaguely remembering the fat, toad-like man with an extraordinarily feminine voice. "I'm pretty sure he was a eunuch, Morgan."

"Who knows?" Morgan shrugged. "In any case, I found out that this noble was the one who hired mercenaries to break into Chon'sin Palace to steal Amatsu. I figured they'd try for Emperor Walhart's axe next, so I beat them to Castle Roseanne with warp powder and stole the axe first. Then I lured the mercenaries out, and invited the duke to come collect the weapons."

"And the gold?" Severa asked.

"Just something for my troubles. I wanted to go shopping tomorrow," Morgan said with a wink. She reached into her satchel again, retrieving a crusty and dry loaf of bread, and broke off a large chunk. "Hungry?"

"No thanks," Severa said, eyeing the bread distastefully. Morgan offered the lump of bread to Owain instead, who similarly turned it down.

"Does she eat solid food yet?" Morgan asked, gesturing towards Ophelia. "Sorry, but I don't really have anything soft enough for her to eat."

"She does, but don't worry. We already ate earlier," Severa said.

"What's her name?" Morgan asked curiously, through a mouthful of bread. "And how old is she?"

"Her name's Ophelia, and she just turned one," Severa replied, peering at her daughter, who appeared to have fallen asleep.

"She's beautiful. She's got Mom's hair, too. Are you two heading back to Ylisstol? I think Mom and Dad will be thrilled to learn they have another grandchild," Morgan mused, stowing the rest of her bedroll.

"Yeah, we are," Severa said absentmindedly. Then she finished processing the rest of Morgan's sentence. "Wait a moment. _Another_ grandchild?"

Morgan only laughed as she climbed into her bedroll. "You two should count yourselves lucky. You already missed the season's last ship for Ylisse. If we hadn't run into each other, you'd be stuck waiting in Valm until spring. I don't have any extra warp powder with me right now, but we can pick some up for you tomorrow." With that said, the younger girl dozed off almost immediately, leaving Severa and Owain to wonder just how much else they had missed.

* * *

When Owain awoke the following morning, he found himself alone in his tent. Heart racing, he rushed outside to find Severa sitting motionlessly atop a large, flat boulder, cradling Ophelia gently in her arms.

"Sleep well?" Severa asked quietly.

"Well enough. Did Ophelia wake you?" Owain asked guiltily.

Severa shook her head slowly. "I couldn't sleep, so I when I felt Ophelia stirring, I brought her out here," she explained.

"Is Morgan awake yet?" Owain asked, nodding towards the smaller tent.

"She's down by the creek," Severa replied, freeing one hand so that she could gesture towards the south.

Owain peered curiously in the indicated direction, for he hadn't noticed a creek the night before. Sure enough, Morgan was standing about a hundred feet away by a small, rocky stream.

The younger girl had somehow removed the hair dye she had been wearing the night before, for her hair was now precisely the same shade of red as Severa's. Her eyes were obscured with a piece of black fabric, and she seemed to be training with a wooden training pole. The silver butterfly Morgan had called Ellie was with her, flying around in erratic loops.

"I wonder what the blindfold is for," Owain thought aloud.

"It's probably a training exercise she read about somewhere," Severa guessed quietly.

Taking note of Severa's listless tone, Owain turned and scrutinized his wife carefully.

"What is it?" Severa asked, when she noticed Owain staring.

"Is something wrong, Severa?" Owain asked gently.

"Of course not. I'm just a bit tired," Severa replied stubbornly, shaking her head.

Owain looked back towards the creek, mostly to hide his knowing smile. That would only make prying the truth from Severa harder, he knew. Besides, he already knew what – or rather, _who_ – Severa was worried about. "I think Morgan's right. We're lucky that she happened to be here. Otherwise, we would have to spend the winter here. We don't really have a whole lot of money, either," Owain said, peeking slyly back at Severa as he spoke.

At Owain's words, Severa's jaw tightened, and strained expression spread slowly across her face. "Yeah. I guess we are," Severa conceded reluctantly, after a moment's thought.

"What's wrong, Severa?" Owain asked bluntly.

Severa sighed and leaned back slightly. "That obvious, huh?" she asked rhetorically.

"Kind of," Owain answered hesitantly, cringing when Severa gave him a sharp look.

Then, to Owain's immense relief, Severa smiled. "Thank you, Owain," she said quietly. She turned slightly to look down towards the creek.

"Are you still worried about her?" Owain guessed, following Severa's gaze.

"We can't just leave her here," Severa said. "She's just a kid."

"That's exactly what those drunks thought yesterday, and those bandits, too," Owain pointed out.

"They were idiots," Severa interjected.

"And Duke Virion," Owain went on smoothly, ignoring the interruption. "They all thought she was just a kid, and she played them as if they were pieces of a board game. Severa, this is Morgan we're talking about." Even as he said that last bit aloud, he regretted his words. That was precisely the heart of the matter, after all.

"You know Morgan, Owain," Severa said, and her tone seemed to grow desperate. "She's smarter than anyone I've ever known – even Dad! – but she still does dumb things all the time, too. And this Morgan isn't our Morgan. Our Morgan lived through three wars, even if she's forgotten one of them. This is my baby sister, Owain. She's known nothing but peace, and now she's playing games with bandits and mercenaries… even a political uprising, from the sounds of it."

"You don't know what things have been like in Ylisse," Owain reminded mildly, though in his heart, he knew Severa was right. When he followed Severa from Ylisse, it had been with the knowledge that Ylisse would be left in good hands.

"I can't just leave her here alone," Severa repeated insistently. "She calls it a friend, but her enchanted trinket won't keep her from making mistakes in her dealings with cutthroats. It can't keep her safe from mercenaries and assassins if she sticks her nose too deep into Valm's politics. It won't even keep her fed and sheltered if something goes awry with one of her plans and she ends up on the road without her supplies."

"You're right," Owain admitted. "But wouldn't your mom and dad have thought the same thing? Your dad must know this Morgan much better than we do, but he isn't here now, is he? If he couldn't keep up with her, even with all of his magic and with Uncle Chrom's help, what hope do we have?"

"Morgan could lose us both in a second with her warp powder, if she wanted to," Severa grimly agreed. "And she doesn't even have to, really. It's hard enough to travel with a baby. We can't take proper care of Ophelia on the open road."

"So what do we do, then?" Owain asked helplessly.

"I don't know. Why do you think I'm sitting here worrying?" Severa retorted wryly.

Unsure of what to say to that, Owain fell silent. As he watched Morgan continue her training exercise, Severa's doubts echoed through his mind, and had a sneaking suspicion that their journey home would prove far more eventful than they had expected.

* * *

An hour later, Morgan returned to the camp with beads of sweat dotting her forehead. "Good morning," she greeted brightly when she saw her sister and Owain waiting for her.

"Good morning," Severa said.

"Do you always train with a veil of darkness clouding your sight?" Owain asked, staring at the blindfold in Morgan's hands.

"Huh?" Morgan asked blankly. Then she looked down at her blindfold. "Oh, this. Not always. It's something I picked up recently from a book I read back in Chon'sin."

"A secret tome of ancient martial techniques?" Owain guessed hopefully.

"An old pirate's journal," Morgan corrected. "He said that a lot of pirates who wear eyepatches have perfectly good eyes. They wear an eyepatch to keep one eye in the dark. That way, when they board a ship and storm the cabin, they can switch the patch to their other eye instead of waiting for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Neat, huh?"

"Umm… how did you go from that to covering _both_ of your eyes?" Severa asked worriedly.

"Well, it got me thinking. If you know that you'll soon have to fight in the dark, that technique helps, but what if you don't know? I'd have to wear the eyepatch all the time, and that would just be ridiculous," Morgan explained.

"Actually…" Owain began to interrupt.

"Yes, it would be ridiculous," Severa agreed quickly. She shot Owain an exasperated look, making it abundantly clear that he was not allowed to add an eyepatch to his regular attire.

"Which means that the only sensible choice left is to learn to fight blind," Morgan concluded happily.

Suddenly, Severa found herself a lot less concerned with her husband's ideas. "What!?" she exclaimed. "You can't fight blind!"

"Sure you can," Morgan insisted. "I met an old fisherman here in Valm who's been blind since before I was even born. He says he lost his eyes way back during the Valmese War. He could walk around, and fish, and even cook! He told me that when you can't see, you pay more attention to what you hear, feel, and smell, which tells you all you need to know about the world around you."

Severa and Owain exchanged worried looks. "Does it work?" Owain asked doubtfully.

"Umm… sort of," Morgan said, sounding unsure. "After about a week of practicing with a blindfold on, I managed to stop hitting myself with my own training pole, and I haven't tripped since… four days ago, I think."

The silver butterfly suddenly darted in front of Morgan, flapping enthusiastically.

"What's that, Ellie?" Morgan asked, frowning. Then, after a few seconds of watching the metallic butterfly's elegant dance, she blushed. "Yesterday doesn't count! I only tripped over my pole since it was wet and slipped out of my hands!"

Neither Morgan's words nor the fact that she was arguing with her mute companion did much to bolster Severa's confidence. Sensing his wife's growing distress, Owain spoke up quickly. "The road to perfection is paved with patience, discipline, and great effort," he said soothingly.

"What he said," Morgan agreed cheerily, before moving to and kneeling down by her satchel. "Anyways, I'll go fetch some warp powder for you three. Just wait for me here. I'll be back in half an hour, okay?"

Severa shot Owain an alarmed look. To her dismay, the blond only shrugged, unsure of what to say. "Uh… hang on, Morgan," Severa interrupted.

"Hmm?" Morgan asked, looking up.

"Owain and I aren't in that big of a hurry to get home. You said you were going shopping today, right? Would you mind if we came with you?" Severa invented wildly.

Morgan pursed her lips thoughtfully, and remained silent for several long moments. "I don't get it," she finally said.

"Huh?" Severa asked, feeling as though she had missed a loop in their conversation. "Don't get what?"

"You," Morgan stated flatly. "You aren't really interested in going shopping with me, are you?"

"Sure I am. I love shopping," Severa said defensively.

"But that's not what this is about," Morgan said knowingly. "You're still worried about me and Ellie being out here on our own."

Annoyed at being seen through so easily, Severa scowled. "Of course I am. We're family, remember?"

"So what? Seven years ago, that didn't even stop you from leaving us all without even saying goodbye," Morgan reminded.

Severa felt as if she had been slapped. She had spent years silently longing for her family and friends without even considering how they had felt about her quiet departure.

"I'm not mad, by the way," Morgan went on, looking pointedly away. "I never was. I remember being kind of upset for a while, since I was only six. I asked where you had gone, and Mom and Dad said you were going away for a while. They wouldn't tell me when you were coming back. But even then, I understood. I still remembered how you and Morgan both had to leave that one time, too. That's just the way it is, isn't it? Sometimes there's just things that need doing."

"Morgan, I never meant to be gone for so long," Severa began apologetically. "I just needed some time to myself. A few weeks, a month, maybe. Then one thing led to another and…" Her voice trailed off there, for she was unable to complete the thought aloud.

"Of course," Morgan said, smiling understandingly. "I didn't know how long my little journey would take me, either. I still don't know, honestly."

"Your journey to where?" Owain interrupted, remembering that Morgan hadn't really explained her current presence in Valm the night before.

Morgan began to say something, but seemed to think better of it. Instead, she inclined her head slightly and placed one finger to her lips in a pensive pose.

"Is there something you're not telling us, Morgan?" Severa asked worriedly, when the silence dragged on. Then a terrible thought occurred to her. "Are you in trouble? Is there someone after you?"

Morgan laughed and shook her head. "No, no, it's nothing like that," she said reassuringly, though neither Severa nor Owain were reassured. "I was just thinking that it might be easier to show you than explain."

Severa instinctively looked down at Ophelia, who remained peacefully asleep.

"It'll be perfectly safe," Morgan promised. "We just have to swing by a tavern. We probably should, anyways, just to find something to eat. I don't really have any food with me fit for a baby." She looked back towards the nearby village. "I think those farmers from last night may recognize me even with my hair dye removed. Come on. There's a larger town about two miles east of here."

"Fine," Severa agreed readily, though she glanced at Owain to make sure he was comfortable with the idea.

Owain, realizing that Severa wouldn't be able to rest easily otherwise, nodded encouragingly.

"By the way," Morgan said. "Did you want to get the dye out of your hair, too, Sis? I still have plenty of the herbal goo that I use."

Severa briefly considered her hair, remembering how disappointed she had initially felt regarding the transformation. "It's not dyed," she admitted. "The person Owain and I were working for changed my hair with some sort of magic. It'd be nice to change it back, but I don't think a few herbs will be enough."

"Magical hair dye? Interesting…" Morgan mused. Then she shrugged. "Oh well. Let's get going," she declared, busying herself with collapsing the tents.

* * *

Though Morgan had claimed their destination to be a larger town, it looked much the same to Severa and Owain. Fields of crops surrounded the town, and a few small farmhouses dotted the outskirts. The more crowded town central seemed to be home to maybe a hundred residents at most, and a rickety, worn sign that may have once listed the town's name stood crookedly by the road.

"This is the town you were talking about?" Severa said, wrinkling her nose distastefully. "What are you looking for here, Morgan?"

"Breakfast, mostly," Morgan said. "Towns like this one always have plenty of fresh eggs. I may try to do some shopping, too, but I'm beginning to think I might have to head towards Plegia or Ferox instead."

"Shopping? Here?" Severa asked incredulously. "Five thousand gold is enough to buy half the goods in a town like this. Why not go to a big city or port or something?"

"I've already tried that," Morgan shrugged.

"Oh! You seek rare and highly magical substances brimming with unspeakable darkness, too ghastly for the markets of the pure and innocent to comprehend!" Owain guessed eagerly.

Morgan turned to him quizzically. "How'd you guess?" she asked, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.

"WHAT!?" Severa exclaimed in horror, as Owain's eyes widened in surprise.

"Just kidding," Morgan laughed. "It's nothing quite like that. Well, at least I don't think it is. We'll know soon enough… maybe." Ending on that cryptic note, she strolled up to the nearest tavern and stepped inside, leaving Severa and Owain with little choice but to follow.

* * *

As it was already late in the morning, the tavern was only scarcely populated. An elderly couple were seated in one corner, and three boisterous young merchants were seated in another with two large, lumpy sacks resting at the foot of their table. The tavern keeper – a rather plump middle-aged woman – eyed her latest guests curiously, taking note of their unusual attire.

Ignoring the tavern keeper's searching look, Morgan bounded up to the counter, smiling pleasantly. "Good morning! Breakfast for three, please?"

Before the tavern keeper could respond, Morgan dropped a small handful of gold coins on the counter, many times the price for three meals.

The tavern keeper's eyes lit up. "Certainly, miss," she said with a polite nod. She collected the gold quickly, but before she could retreat into the kitchen, Morgan spoke up again.

"And if you happen to see the Fireman, could you let him know I'd like a word with him?" Morgan asked sweetly. "Tell him Morgan wants to speak with him."

"Fireman?" the tavern keeper echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion. Behind Morgan, Severa and Owain exchanged puzzled looks. "Sorry, lass. I ain't heard of no Fireman."

"Ah, well," Morgan said with an exaggerated sigh. "But if you do hear of him and come across him one day, you'll pass my message along, won't you? Thanks." With that, she stepped away from the counter, making her way to the nearest table.

Severa handed Ophelia over to Owain, then sat down in front of Morgan. She briefly looked around to ensure no one else was listening in. Once satisfied, she gave Morgan a hard stare. "What's going on here, Morgan?" she asked sternly. "Who is this Fireman that you're looking for?"

"Someone I've been trying to find," Morgan said, making a face. She then held out her hands towards Owain as he was pulling back a chair. "Hey, Owain, can I hold Ophelia for a bit? Please?" she begged.

"Don't change the subject!" Severa insisted, as Owain shot her a questioning look.

"I'm not!" Morgan protested, mustering the most innocent look she could manage. "I just want to hold her for a bit!"

Severa groaned, and nodded slightly at her husband. "Fine," she consented, and Owain passed the little girl over to Morgan. "Now stop avoiding all of my questions and tell me what you're really doing here, Morgan."

"Your mommy's in a bad mood today, isn't she?" Morgan cooed softly, and to Severa's consternation, Ophelia began giggling happily. "Before I left, Morgan told me about an old contact of hers," Morgan explained absently, without looking up. "This contact once offered to sell her some information, but she turned the offer down. Before he left, he told Morgan to stop by any tavern and ask for the Fireman if she changed her mind later."

Those words brought a hazy memory of a peculiar, grey-haired assassin to the front of Severa's mind. "You mean that man from Tellius?" she frowned, trying to remember her last encounter with the mysterious man.

"That's the one," Morgan said.

Owain's expression became one of shock and horror as he remembered the subject of conversation the last time the Fireman had approached them. "You want to ask him about Calamity," he whispered.

Severa winced as she, too, remembered the rest of the conversation Morgan was speaking of.

"Yep," Morgan confirmed, again without looking up. Before Severa or Owain could say anything else, the tavern keeper returned, setting down three trays of food. "Thanks, ma'am," Morgan said politely, before taking a spoonful of her eggs and offering it to Ophelia.

Severa made no move for her food. "Morgan, Calamity's gone. Ferox destroyed him. And besides, that assassin was asking for a ridiculous price, like a hundred thousand gold or something."

"Two hundred thousand," Morgan corrected. She paused just long enough to retrieve a small coin pouch from her sash and drop it on the table. Then she promptly returned to feeding her breakfast to the baby. "She's so quiet. And so cute," Morgan commented.

Severa stared at the pouch, then at Owain, who had paused with a piece of freshly baked bread halfway to his mouth.

"Two hundred thousand?" Owain sputtered, staring at the bag and wondering how a hoard greater than the treasuries of many smaller kingdoms could fit in such a small container. "You have two hundred thousand gold in there?"

"With a couple thousand to spare," Morgan said indifferently. "It took me a while to gather that much gold, especially since I ended up spending quite a bit along the way, but Duke Virion finally gave me the rest that I needed last night. The problem is, I can't seem to track down this mysterious Fireman. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe he meant any tavern on that continent, rather than any tavern anywhere…"

With a sigh, Severa began nibbling halfheartedly at her breakfast. "He probably did," she said. "Maybe it's time for you to go home, Morgan. You'll probably have better luck searching for him in the taverns near Castle Ylisse."

"Mm… I was thinking Ferox or Plegia, actually," Morgan replied.

Engrossed in their discussion, none of them had noticed another guest entering the tavern and approaching their table. At least, not until the grey-haired man abruptly seated himself beside Morgan. "You could also try staying in the same village for more than two hours at a time," the man suggested wryly. "Not everyone can casually move from one end of the continent to the other overnight."

Morgan looked up at last, and Severa and Owain both turned to the newcomer in surprise. All three of them had been rendered speechless.

The grey-haired man looked much as Severa and Owain remembered him. That, in itself, was strange, for their last encounter had been over eight years ago. Despite the passage of time, the assassin showed no signs of aging, and even his outfit was the same nondescript set of dark clothing from before.

"I heard you've been searching for me," the Fireman said, skipping any formalities or pleasantries. "What might I do for you, Morgan?"

Morgan beamed in anticipation, and she sat up, her expression suddenly one of rapt attention. "You're the Fireman? The one who offered to sell Exalt Chrom some information about eight years ago?"

"Perhaps," the Fireman replied noncommittally.

"This was back in Ylisse. Ylisstol had just been attacked by a dragon-like monster," Morgan urged. "The dragon was destroyed in Ferox, or so everyone thought. You indicated that you knew something more, but demanded a large sum of gold in return for the information. Remember?"

The Fireman smiled. "Perhaps," he said again, in an infuriatingly uncaring tone.

"Two hundred thousand gold, as you requested," Morgan said, nodding towards her coin pouch. "Tell me what you know, and it's all yours."

"Morgan, wait," Severa tried to interrupt. "I don't think this is…"

"Later," Morgan said dismissively, waving away her sister's protests. "Well? Do we have a deal?" she asked, rounding upon the assassin once more.

Interestingly enough, the Fireman hardly seemed to notice the pouch. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "That's quite a lot of gold, especially for someone as young as yourself," he remarked.

"And I earned it all, fair and square," Morgan pressed on. "Do we have a deal?"

The Fireman sighed. "No," he said softly, but firmly.

Morgan's eyes flashed angrily. "Why not?" she demanded.

"Because the information is of no value to you," the Fireman explained coolly. "I have no qualms about squeezing what gold I can from a prosperous kingdom's treasury, but I cannot rob a child, particularly one who has worked so very hard and honorably, to earn her wealth."

That took Morgan aback. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You've been following me," she accused.

"And you've been making it quite easy, inquiring about me in literally every town you've passed through," the Fireman replied in a deadpan tone. "I know what you're searching for, Morgan. You long for adventure, but I tell you now – and honestly – that the knowledge you've asked for holds no value for you."

"Let me be the judge of that," Morgan insisted.

"No," the Fireman repeated. "Not when I can offer you what you are truly searching for."

Morgan settled back in her seat, intrigued, and motioned the assassin to elaborate.

"Have you heard of the Vault of Many Ways?" the Fireman asked.

At that remark, Severa's lips grew thin, and Owain's eyes darted back and forth nervously.

"Once or twice. Why?" Morgan asked, ignoring her companions' reactions.

"It is an interesting place, a lightless labyrinth of countless winding tunnels that extend deep into the earth," the Fireman explained. "Within the tunnels await many gateways, pools of long-forgotten magic that can whisk someone from one end of the cavern to the other, lurking to misdirect visitors even further. Some scholars claim that these gateways serve another purpose, however. Some claim that a few of these gateways lead elsewhere in Valm, or to other continents… or even to other worlds. If you are interested, I have a map for you."

"No," Severa interrupted firmly.

"Sis!" Morgan protested, but this time, it was Severa who disregarded her sister's protests.

"Firstly, she's not paying you a single coin for your map. The Vault isn't far from the Mila Tree, and everyone knows where that is. Even if we did want a map for some reason, we can find one in just about any large city," Severa began. "And secondly..."

"You misconstrue me," the Fireman interrupted, holding up his hands in a disarming manner. "I am not offering you a map to the Vault itself. I am offering you a map to a particular gateway within Vault."

"Where does it lead?" Morgan prompted eagerly.

"This gateway is proof of the scholars' claims," the Fireman replied. "It will send you to a cursed world, whose inhabitants struggle on despite their harsh and unforgiving home. It is the perfect place for one such as yourself, who wishes to see a wholly different place with sights and troubles vastly different from your homeland. And of course, there is the curse to consider; perhaps this world can be freed from its curse, and its people granted a reprieve. Perhaps not. Five thousand gold and you can decide for yourself."

"Perhaps not?" Severa said scornfully. "Do you really think anyone's about to…"

"Done," Morgan interrupted softly. Carefully, so as to not upset Ophelia, she slid her coin pouch across the table.

The Fireman dropped a bound scroll on the table, then began fishing coins from the pouch in a blindingly efficient manner. Then, after collecting his fee, he straightened. "Best of luck to you," he offered, before turning and marching from the tavern.

* * *

"So, what do you two think?" Morgan asked. Surprisingly, she did not seem to be in much of a hurry, despite the air of triumph and excitement about her. She made no move for the scroll, and instead resumed gently feeding Ophelia, who had started fidgeting towards the end of the conversation.

"Adventure?" Severa said, echoing the one word the Fireman had said that stood out to her the most. " _That's_ what this is all about?"

"Well, sure," Morgan replied, looking up. "Why not?"

"Morgan, the Vault is no playground waiting to alleviate your boredom," Owain said, now sounding every bit as concerned as Severa. "Other worlds may await you there, but at the cost of hearth and home."

"You lost me this time," Morgan admitted. "What are you talking about, Owain?"

"We know of the Vault," Severa replied darkly. "And yes, the magic there can take you to another world. That doesn't mean there'll be a way back."

Far from scaring Morgan, Severa's words only seemed to add to the younger girl's elation. "So that's where you two have been all this time," she whispered, her eyes shining excitedly.

"Morgan, are you even listening?" Severa moaned in exasperation. "If you follow this map and it leads to where that man promised, you might not make it back. Ever."

"You two made it back," Morgan argued.

"Because we…" Owain began, but before he could say anything else, Severa reached into her pockets and retrieved a small crystal.

"We only made it back because we had this," Severa said, placing the crystal on the table beside the map. "The person we were working for gave it to us and told us that we could use it to return home."

"But also that it could only be used once," Owain added.

"That's why we were gone for so long," Severa went on. "We couldn't come back until we were finished, and sometimes, we weren't even sure if we were going to make it back. There was no way for us to visit, or even send word of where we had gone to everyone we left behind. Do you have any idea what that's like, Morgan?"

"Nope, and I'm not about to find out," Morgan said calmly. "That man felt bad about ripping me off, Sis. I don't think he'd try to strand me in a world as terrible as he described. He admitted that he's been following me, so he must know that I have a way home. More than one, as a matter of fact."

Morgan rose and moved around the table, offering Ophelia back to her mother now that she no longer seemed hungry. Then, as soon as the baby was safely back in her mother's arms, Morgan scooped up Severa's crystal. "Maybe even another one, now," she added, inspecting the crystal thoughtfully as she wondered whether it could be somehow restored.

"You really trust him?" Severa challenged, sounding unimpressed.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have gone to him for information in the first place," Morgan pointed out with a shrug.

"Why _did_ you go to him?" Owain wondered. "Has the dragon been sighted again? Or has there been some sort of trouble in Ylisse that you think is related to it?"

"No," Morgan said, returning to her seat. "I just went to him since Ylisse was getting boring."

"Boring?" Severa echoed incredulously, but even as she spoke, she noticed a vaguely familiar shift in her sister's demeanor. For some reason, she felt as if Morgan wasn't being entirely honest.

"Sure. Nothing ever happens in Ylisse anymore," Morgan said flippantly. "All that's left to do at home is read and play around in Dad's workshop. That's why I persuaded the other Morgan to tell me more about the Fireman, and why I came out here."

Now Severa knew her sister was hiding something. The Morgan she remembered had always been particularly adept at keeping herself amused, and would never have ventured so far from home out of mere boredom. Not when there were books to be read and magical devices to be tinkered with, anyways.

"This world has many safer and more entertaining pursuits to offer," Owain, who shared none of his wife's suspicions, chided Morgan gently.

"Safe is boring," Morgan said, reseating herself and faking a yawn. "But if it'll make you two feel better, you can come to the Vault with me, and I'll show you how I'll return home later. Then there won't be anything left to worry about, right?"

Owain opened his mouth to say that yes, there would still be a great many things to worry about, but before he could make a sound, Severa spoke up.

"Sure," Severa agreed, and Owain turned to her, mouth agape.

"Great," Morgan said, finally turning her attention to her food. Despite the many questioning looks Owain shot Severa's way, the three of them finished their breakfasts without saying anything more.

* * *

When they left the tavern, Morgan immediately began leading the way back to the town's outskirts. Owain, seeing his chance, lagged bag and grabbed Severa's hand. "Severa, do you really mean to let her head off to another world on her own? Even with a way home?" he whispered, hoping to escape Morgan's notice.

"Of course not," Severa hissed back. "But we're not about to convince her to come home with us, either. She left for a reason, and not just because she was bored."

"She did? How do you know?" Owain asked.

"Because she's my sister," Severa answered simply.

"But you don't really know her. She was only six when we left," Owain reminded.

"I know her well enough," Severa insisted, irritated. "I'm not sure why she left or what she's planning, but at least this way, we might get to find out."

"And then what?" Owain prompted.

Severa didn't have an answer to that. Thankfully, she didn't need one, for Morgan turned around at that exact moment. "Are you two coming?" the younger girl called, managing to sound both playful and impatient at the same time.

"Sorry, Ophelia was fussing," Severa invented quickly. She then offered a second, silent apology to her oblivious child – who only smiled at her happily – then hurried to catch up to Morgan. "How far is the Mila Tree from here, anyways?" she asked. Despite her earlier claim, she didn't quite remember where the famous landmark was.

"Too far, at least on foot," Morgan replied. "But I'm not planning on walking." She held up her right hand, and Severa was surprised to see that Morgan was now wearing a small pearl ring.

With a crackling sound, a sphere of electric-blue energy appeared in front of Morgan. Owain gasped, and Severa instinctively took a step back.

"What is that?" Severa demanded.

Morgan's smile widened, but she did not answer.

The sphere gradually stretched outwards, forming an oblong disc. Then the center of it began to thin, and after a few minutes, only the border of the disc remained, a thick ring of some insubstantial material. It then resembled an oddly shaped window, but when Severa and Owain peered through it, instead of finding the same large expanses of farmland that surrounded them, they saw dense clusters of tropical looking trees.

"After you," Morgan said politely, gesturing towards the mysterious rift.


	4. Chapter 2: Water's Edge

**~ Chapter 2 ~**

 **Water's Edge**

"What is this place?" Owain marveled, stepping through the rift beside Severa.

"Home," Morgan answered, stepping through after them.

Severa and Owain turned and watched as Morgan casually waved towards the rift. The oblong ring of energy remained, but the scene on the other side faded in color until it resembled a pool of lightless water, rippling in the breeze.

"I call this place Water's Edge," Morgan explained. "My ring can bring me here whenever I want. It can also activate this rift to send me back to wherever I last came here from."

"But where are we?" Severa asked, though she couldn't quite hide her awe at their exotic surroundings. The nearby trees were heavily laden with coconuts, and the warm air carried a faint, briny scent, as if the ocean were only just out of reach.

"Come and see," Morgan invited. She skipped merrily through the woods, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to slope uphill.

Severa and Owain followed, and soon found themselves standing atop a cliff. The sparkling blue sea splashed gently below, and pristine, golden beaches lined the distant horizon. A few buildings rested along the opposing coast, resembling a city of some sort.

"The mainlanders don't know we're on this island," Morgan explained. "There's a small village just down the hill from us. Some of the villagers here have been talking about wanting to build a ship, but… well, it's complicated."

"How so?" Severa asked.

"Come on!" Morgan said, ignoring her sister's question. With that, she turned and started back down the slope.

* * *

Before long, a sizable village just slightly larger than the other two farming communities had been came into view. An old woman wearing a straw hat was in the middle of picking tangerines from nearby trees. She appeared to be from Chon'sin, although her clothing was more suitable for life upon the tropical island. She looked up as Morgan approached, and broke into a wide smile. "Lady Morgan! You've returned!" she called joyfully, setting down her basket.

"Hello, Granny!" Morgan called, racing up and giving the older woman a hug.

"Friends of yours?" the old woman said, smiling warmly at Severa, Owain, and Ophelia. "They don't look like refugees."

"Granny, this is my sister, Severa," Morgan said, running back to her sister's side. "This man is her husband, Owain. The little one is Ophelia. Severa, Owain, this is Marian. She's pretty much the one in charge here."

"When Lady Morgan isn't here, that is," Marian corrected modestly. "She's the one who brought us here, after all. It's nice to meet you two… three, rather," she corrected herself, meeting Ophelia's gaze as the little girl looked up.

" _Lady_ Morgan?" Severa asked, emphasizing the title and frowning at her sister.

Morgan blushed. "It wasn't my idea," she said quickly.

"It's respect freely offered by everyone living here in Water's Edge," Marian offered, her smile unwavering. "Speaking of which, milady, dear Vincent had an idea he wanted to run by you. He's probably down at the lumberyard. If you're leaving again, you should see him before you go."

"Will do," Morgan agreed. "We're just here to pick up some of my stuff, but I'll stop by and see what he wants.

"Here, milady. Take some of these before you go," Marian offered, lifting and presenting her basket. "They're sweeter than ever this time of the year."

"Thanks," Morgan said, and she passed one of the orange fruits to each Severa and Owain before taking one for herself. "Come on, Sis, Owain. Let's go see what Vincent has to say."

* * *

"The lumberyard is on the way to my house, anyways," Morgan said, gesturing along a worn dirt path. The path ran by a fenced off field with many large stacks of wooden boards, before coming to an end at the foot of a dilapidated cabin.

"Lady Morgan!" a young man, barely older than Morgan was herself, called out from the lumberyard. He wasn't alone; a handful of older men accompanied him. The others appeared to be from Chon'sin, like Marian, but the young man who had spoken looked to have come from eastern Valm instead. Their apparel, too, was mixed, and though it was of summer weight appropriate for the island's temperate climate, they were styled rather exotically.

"Where did these people come from?" Severa wondered, realizing that she hadn't seen a single person who looked to be a native a tropical island. "And how did they all get here?"

"They come from all over, really. I brought them here when they had nowhere else to go," Morgan said. "The Valmese nobles have been squabbling and posturing for a while, which means a lot of the peasants who live near the borders get ignored. Pirates own the Valmese coastlines now, and bandits rule the countryside."

"Are things really that bad in Valm?" Severa asked worriedly. It seemed a bit incongruent to her, since she and Owain hadn't encountered any trouble in Valm before running into Morgan, but they _had_ been following well-traveled roads, for the most part.

"Not _all_ of Valm, but things can get pretty ugly for those living too far from the major cities," Morgan said. She held up her hand, displaying the pearl ring she still wore. "Dad accidentally created this ring a few years ago. It seemed pretty useless at the time, since he couldn't get the ring to send us anywhere useful. I took it with me when I left, though, just in case I ever needed an escape and couldn't risk warp powder. This island's turned out to be a nice home for these people, though. The soil's good for farming, the weather is nice all year long, and there's plenty of food with the fruit trees everywhere and the ocean teeming with fish."

"Lady Morgan! You made it back safely!" the young man in the lumberyard said, rushing up to greet them as they approached the lumberyard. His messy brown hair bobbed wildly around him as he scrambled clumsily to open the gate.

"Don't I always?" Morgan replied petulantly.

"Ah, go easy on the lad," one of the older laborers – a grizzly, mustached man – laughed. "It's only natural to fret about a pretty lass like yourself wandering the countryside alone, especially with things the way they are."

"If only you've seen me fight before," Morgan sighed dramatically, but Severa thought she heard a hint of genuine hurt in her younger sister's voice. "Oh wait, I think you have, haven't you?" the younger redhead added, her expression twisting into a mischievous smirk.

The older laborer laughed, and the younger man blushed.

"Never mind," Morgan said hastily. "Granny Marian said you wanted to speak with me, Vincent. What's up?"

"Well, old Charles finished drawing up the blueprint," the younger laborer began. "We've got more than enough lumber set aside, too. We could have a nice ship built within a month. Then we can start trading with the mainlanders, and you won't need to worry about helping us out with the supplies."

"You just want to visit that beach resort on the other side," Morgan accused, grinning.

"Well, maybe if we had time…" Vincent said, fumbling about for an excuse.

Morgan shook her head impatiently. "I told you last time, Vincent. No one knows we're here right now, and we're all the safer for it," she said.

"Most rulers wouldn't take kindly to hearing about foreigners moving into their territory unannounced through magical means," Severa added wryly.

"This is my sister, Severa," Morgan introduced quickly, when Vincent shot Morgan a questioning look.

"Ah. Well met," Vincent said, dipping into a polite bow. Then he turned back to Morgan. "Please, Lady Morgan. I know of your fears, but we've burdened you with our needs for far too long already. And besides, Exalt Chrom is known to be a wise and fair ruler. I'm sure if he were to hear our story, he would gladly allow us to keep our homes. He may even grant you this island and an accompanying title of nobility. Wouldn't that be fitting?"

"Exalt Chrom!?" Severa and Owain exclaimed together.

Morgan cringed.

"Are we in Ylisse, Morgan?" Severa demanded.

"Yeah," Morgan said in a small voice. "We're just off the southern coast."

"You two have heard of Ylisse and its Exalt, haven't you?" Vincent pressed. "I'm sure if we were to tell him of our troubles and of how Lady Morgan came to our aid, he'd be willing to grant us a single island that he thought deserted."

Severa groaned. "These people have no idea who you are, do they?" she asked.

Morgan shrugged sheepishly, as Vincent and the other laborer looked on in confusion. "I… uh… I'll think about it," Morgan offered feebly. "I guess you can start working on your ship in the meantime." With that, she beat a hasty escape, returning to the dirt path and rushing towards the cabin at the end of the road.

"Thank you, milady!" Vincent gratefully shouted after her.

* * *

When Severa and Owain finally caught up to Morgan, they found her inside a sparsely furnished, but fairly cozy room. Morgan's head was buried in one of three large, plain wooden trunks lining the far wall.

"Just one moment," Morgan said when she heard footsteps behind her. "Ah, here we go!" She emerged from the trunk with a large bag. "Do you two still want to come to the Vault with me? You can go home right now, if you'd like," she offered.

"We can go home any time, right?" Severa pointed out. "You're using the warp powder to reach the Vault, anyways. We can spare a few hours. Right, Owain?"

"Sure," Owain agreed, sounding more serious than usual. He had been thoroughly unnerved by the mention of his uncle.

"But Morgan, is there some reason you don't want to talk to Uncle Chrom? I'm sure he'd let those villagers stay here," Severa asked, wondering if there was something going on in Ylisse that she wasn't aware of.

"Not really," Morgan said, shuffling her feet nervously.

"Are you afraid to go home? That you'll be in trouble with Mom and Dad?" Severa guessed.

"Well… maybe a little bit," Morgan reluctantly admitted.

Severa sighed. "I know how you feel," she admitted. "I'm not sure what I'll say to them myself." She turned to Owain, smiling slyly. "And you should be even more worried. How do you think Lissa will react when she sees you?"

Owain swallowed uncomfortably. "Ah…" was all he could manage.

"But I'd like to see them anyways, all the same," Severa went on nonchalantly. "Mom and Dad, I mean, and Lucina, too. Don't you miss them, Morgan?"

Morgan's expression became unreadable, and she held up the scroll she had purchased from the Fireman. "I have work to do, remember?" she asked.

"But…" Severa began.

"I promise I won't go through the gateway until I know I have a way back," Morgan interrupted hurriedly. "Here's what I'm thinking. Ellie will stay here while we head over to this Vault and find the gateway that the map points to. Then I'll use my ring to project a rift to the other side of the gateway. I'll leave it there for a minute, then create a new rift on our side for Ellie to rejoin us. She'll be able to tell us if the rift can connect between our two worlds, and whether the other side is safe."

Severa shot the silver butterfly perched on Morgan's shoulder a doubtful look. "And what if it doesn't work?"

"Then I'll try to come up with something else that does work," Morgan grinned. "I'm not trying to get myself killed, Sis. I'll stay safe. I promise!"

Severa looked to Owain for help. To her annoyance, all he could say was, "It sounds like a pretty good plan."

"And if it does work, what then?" Severa asked urgently. "How long will you be gone? A month? A year? Ten? What am I supposed to tell Mom and Dad? Or the other Morgan?"

"They'll understand," Morgan said, though she sounded unsure. "I think. Morgan will understand, at least."

Severa sighed again. "Promise me you'll come home, Morgan. Promise me you'll come home soon," she pleaded.

"Melodramatic, much?" Morgan teased, and any trace of vulnerability faded from her expression. "Alright, I promise. I'll find this mysterious world that the Fireman spoke of, and once I've seen everything there is to see and done everything there is to do, I'll come home. Then you get to convince Mom and Dad not to strangle me. Deal?"

"Do you really think it'll be that easy?" Owain asked.

"Sure it will," Morgan said confidently. "You'll see."

* * *

Less than an hour later, the three of them were squeezed together behind a large boulder. Severa and Owain had, with some reluctance, left Ophelia behind in Water's Edge; upon seeing how tired Ophelia looked, Marian had offered to look after the baby for a few hours. Now, Severa was quite thankful that her daughter remained somewhere safe.

"This is your idea of easy?" Severa hissed angrily, glaring at her younger sister.

"This wasn't part of the plan," Morgan argued in an equally hushed tone. "How was I supposed to know there'd be a dozen mercenaries camped around the entrance?"

"Mercenaries?" Owain asked. He peeked carefully around the boulder for a second look. The armed men waiting around the cavern entrance still looked like soldiers to him; nine of the twelve were clad in polished armor and equipped with an assortment of quality javelins and lances. Two more were wearing matching leather outfits with fine swords waiting in their scabbards, and the wore a simple cloth robes while carrying no visible weapon. All twelve of them bore the same crimson markings on their shoulders, a depiction of a brutally spiked crown over the distinctive silhouette of Wolfberg.

"That's the sigil of Countess Oathkeeper," Morgan explained. "She's the one who claims to be the daughter of Emperor Walhart's tactician – Excellus, or whatever his name was. I don't know what the Countess's real name is, but she claims to be trying to unite Valm and uphold her father's oath of fealty to Walhart, even after their deaths."

"Touching," Severa intoned dryly. "So those are her soldiers, then?" She peeked around the boulder, too, this time paying closer attention to the emblem, and indeed, it was the same one that had been emblazoned across the banners and flags of the Valmese army more than a decade prior.

"Those are mercenaries," Morgan said again, more insistently this time. "Look closely. The armor is old and fits those men poorly, and the camp is a disorderly mess without a single sentry posted. These aren't trained soldiers. The Countess must have hired and armed them, just like she did with the Barkley Mercenaries." Then, to herself, she muttered, "But what are they doing here?"

"Mercenaries, soldiers, whatever," Severa said, uninterested in Morgan's pedantry. "What do we do now?"

Morgan mulled the question over for a few seconds, then her expression brightened. "Simple. You two can wait in Water's Edge while I warp directly into the Vault," she suggested.

"And waste more warp powder, plus more of whatever your ring uses?" Severa pointed out.

"The ring doesn't use anything," Morgan argued. "It just needs a few minutes to open a rift."

"How are you going to navigate the tunnels properly if you warp in? And what if there are more mercenaries waiting inside?" Severa pressed.

"Good point," Morgan acknowledged thoughtfully. "Hmm… in that case, let's just hide until nightfall. Once they're asleep, I bet I can sneak past…"

"Hey! Look over there!" one of the mercenaries abruptly shouted.

Severa, Owain, and Morgan all flinched, shrinking further behind the boulder.

"A merchant caravan. Curse our luck!" another of the mercenaries said dramatically, though he didn't sound too disappointed.

At those words, Morgan looked out towards Valm's famous Mila Tree, an ancient tree so large that it could be seen from miles around and seemed to pierce the sky itself. Sure enough, about three hundred feet away, a small merchant caravan of a mere four carts was lazily making its way north. Morgan's heart sank.

"The boss's orders were pretty clear," a third mercenary spoke up, confirming Morgan's fears.

"Leave no witnesses," another agreed, and there was a cruel edge to his voice. With that, the mercenaries started towards the oblivious merchants, weapons in hand.

Morgan drew Alondite and began to rise, but Severa grasped her wrist firmly.

"You just used warp powder," Severa reminded sharply. "You can't get into a fight right now."

"I can put up a better fight than those merchants," Morgan retorted defiantly.

With a disgruntled sigh, Severa drew her own sword. "Stay here, Morgan," she insisted, before turning to her husband. "You up for this, Owain?"

"When the call of justice sounds, Owain Dark inevitably answers," Owain replied, readying his tome.

The sound of the merchants' screams as their carts spontaneously burst into flame put a quick end to Owain's dramatic antics. Without exchanging another word, he and Severa charged.

* * *

"Hah! Listen to their feeble whining!" one of the ruffians gleefully crowed. "Hit them again!"

His friend obliged, and with a wicked smile, cast another fireball forward. The second flaming projectile struck squarely one of the merchants crawling from the burning, overturned cart, killing the unfortunate trader instantly.

"Watch the goods," another of the mercenaries advised. "We'll be eating well tonight if you don't burn their supplies to a crisp."

The mage nodded slightly, then took careful aim at another of his squirming victims. Before he could release a third spell, though, a ball of fire exploded nearby, knocking one of his companions flat to the ground.

"We're under attack!" one of the lightly armored swordsmen screamed unnecessarily. The fallen man quickly pulled himself to his feet, and all twelve of the mercenaries turned to greet Severa and Owain's approach.

"Those idiots don't know when they're outnumbered," one of the lancers chortled, easily sidestepping Owain's next fireball. Severa reached him then, but he simply forced his attacker back easily with a straightforward thrust. "You're a pretty one, aren't you? Maybe we won't kill you after all," he taunted, as his friends laughed.

Unfortunately for the cocky mercenary, Severa was intimately familiar with lances, and knew their weaknesses quite well. She matched the lancer's wicked smile, recognizing her opponent's lack of training from his poorly balanced stance. Severa rushed forward, despite the pointed weapon brandished her way, and when the mercenary lancer predictably jabbed the lance at her, she weaved around it with ease. Her blade came up, slapping against the lance's shaft, sliding along it and keeping it at bay until her blade struck home. With a simple flick, she sent her sword cutting straight through the lancer's armor and into his heart.

The other mercenaries cried out, outraged, and two of them moved to flank Severa immediately. One of the two promptly took a fireball to the side and crumbled to the ground, squealing in pain. The other, now suddenly facing the deadly red-haired woman alone, hesitated. When Severa attacked, his lance came up a second too low to block, and he, too, collapsed breathlessly to the ground.

"Get the mage!" one of the two mercenary swordsmen cried. At the same time, his own magic-wielding companion loosed a blast at Severa, forcing her back on her heels.

"Owain!" Severa cried out, realizing she couldn't handle the approaching mercenaries while avoiding the mage's onslaught.

Owain quickly saw his predicament, but he ignored the incoming swordsman anyways, aiming his next spell at the mercenary mage. Another gout of fire erupted from his hands, soaring out to and striking the mage.

When his conjured flames splashed harmlessly off his enemy's warded robes, Owain knew he was in trouble. "Severa! Look out!" Owain called.

Though her view was blocked by a pair of her bulky opponents, Severa could guess what had happened. She extricated herself from the melee quickly, partially dropping her guard as she dove into a roll. Another fireball sailed her way, missing badly, but she felt a sting as one of the lancers landed a glancing blow against her thigh.

Owain thought to strike the enemy mage again, but he couldn't afford to ignore the approaching swordsman any longer, he knew. He leveled his tome defensively instead, sending forth another spell to stop the approaching ruffian in his tracks. The spell connected, but the ruffian simply shrugged off the impact and pressed on regardless.

A massive ball of fire that dwarfed any of those Owain or the mercenary mage had thrown spun across the battlefield, striking the latter squarely. This time, the spell pierced the magically warded robes, immolating the unfortunate mage where he stood.

"Owain, catch!"

Owain spun to find Morgan charging his way.

Morgan paused to launch another tremendous blast of fire at the lancers pursuing Severa, then unsheathed her sword and tossed it to Owain. Though she remained weakened by her warp powder, it was a credible attempt nonetheless, and her sword landed only a few feet away from the blond swordsman-turned-mage.

Owain raced away from the swordsman chasing him, turning only when he held Alondite firmly in his grasp. Despite the sword being even heavier than he would have guessed, and though he had not used a sword in many years, Alondite's elegant blade felt perfectly balanced in his hands. Owain parried the mercenary swordsman's first swing easily enough, and his second swing sent Alondite's gleaming silver edge slicing through the surprised ruffian's torso.

Meanwhile, Morgan's distraction had bought more than enough time for Severa to gain the upper hand. The remaining mercenaries had scattered when the magical flames exploded amidst them, and the disorganized ruffians could only scramble around helplessly, trying to escape their deadly foe. Severa darted between the smoke and flames, finishing them one after another.

Finally, Severa alone staggered through the dissipating smoke clouds, dragging behind her the beaten and limp form of the last surviving mercenary.

Morgan waited until she spotted Severa, then turned to check on Owain as well. As soon as she was certain that both of her allies were safe, Morgan turned and raced towards the overturned carts, hoping that their attempt at a rescue hadn't come too late.

* * *

Morgan cautiously made her away around the smoldering wreckage, briefly checking each of the still bodies lying about it for signs of life. The stench of burning flesh was nearly unbearable, but she pressed on regardless, her eyes watering.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Morgan noticed a slight flicker of motion, and cursed her own lack of vigilance.

"Don't move!"

Morgan slowly lifted her hands into the air, making herself look as harmless as possible. It wasn't difficult, thankfully, given her lack of a weapon and unimpressive stature. She turned her head slowly, too, and soon found herself staring straight at a nocked arrow.

The bow's holder – a dark-haired girl who looked perhaps two or three years older than Morgan – gasped when she realized how young Morgan was. Her surprised didn't last long, however, and her expression hardened again almost immediately. "Back away," she demanded.

Morgan found the threat thoroughly underwhelming, for both the bow and arrow were quivering in the girl's grip, which was entirely wrong to begin with. "Okay, I'm backing away," Morgan agreed anyways, taking a slow and deliberate step back. "But you should really put that bow down. You're only going to hurt yourself, holding the arrow like that."

"I don't care!" the girl growled defiantly. "Leave my brother alone, bandit!"

With a start, Morgan realized that the scorched body lying behind the girl was still breathing, but only just. "I'm not a bandit," she assured the girl soothingly.

"You're… you're not?" the girl asked hopefully.

Morgan shook her head. "Is that boy your brother? He needs help. I have a staff with me, if you'll let me try to heal him," she offered.

"Where?" the girl demanded, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"In my belt pouch," Morgan said. "I'm going to take it out now, okay? Just my staff. No weapons," she promised.

But before the merchant girl could respond, Severa darted around the opposite side of the cart. The dark-haired girl spun in surprise, but was too slow. There was a flash of steel, and she cried out as the bow in her hand went rigid, its string cut neatly in two.

"Sis! Stop!" Morgan cried.

But Severa had already stopped. "She had an arrow pointed at you," she reminded testily. "Though she was more likely to break her own hand, holding it the way she was."

The boy lying on the ground suddenly began breathing loudly and raggedly, putting an end to the discussion. Morgan reached into her pouch, producing a healing staff, and approached the boy. Soon, the boy was breathing easily once more. "I'm sorry," Morgan apologized to the merchant girl wearily. In her weakened state, the feeble attempt at magic had taxed her greatly. "That's the best I can do right now."

The girl shook her head, relieved. "You saved him. Thank you," she whispered gratefully, her voice hoarse.

Owain arrived then, with Morgan's bloodied sword in hand. He began to hand it back to Morgan, though he paused sheepishly, pulling it back and wiping it off on the grass. "These two are the lone survivors of today's tragedy," he murmured as he handed Morgan her now-clean weapon.

Morgan winced, as did the merchant girl, who had apparently overheard. "I'm sorry," she said again, sympathetically. She kneeled down to check on the resting boy, who, to her surprise, looked to be about her own age. "You and your brother are from Chon'sin, aren't you?" she guessed.

The merchant girl nodded. "I'm Li'rei. My family and I were on our way home after visiting the coastal city of Silvertide, where my grandmother lives. We visit every year, bringing with us silk from Chon'sin, and we return with… with…" Her voice wavered as she surveyed the ruined carts and the piles of shattered glass.

"Drinking glasses," Morgan guessed softly, for the coastal cities of Valm were renowned for their glassmaking techniques. She began inspecting the carts too, then, but she ignored the ruined goods and instead sought out any remaining supplies. A small satchel filled with smoked jerky and a few burnt water skins were all that remained. "Do you think you and your brother can make it back to Chon'sin on your own? Or back to your grandmother's home?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Li'rei had no answer to that, and only slumped against her brother's side, her face streaked with tears.

"Now you see why there are so many people living in Water's Edge, don't you?" Morgan whispered to Severa grimly.

Severa, like Li'rei, had nothing more to say. Instead, she stared at the grieving orphan and the girl's unconscious brother, wondering if it should sadden her or relieve her that, even after all she had been through, such sights could still pain her so.

* * *

About an hour later, Morgan laid back in her cot, exhausted. Her two spells during the battle had drained her more than she had let on to, and her attempt at healing the Chon'sin boy had nearly given her away.

As she considered her most recent battle, her frown became a proud and slightly embarrassed grin. She knew it was rather petty of her, but she was please nonetheless that even in her weakened state, her magic had overshadowed Owain's in such a decisive manner. She had been confident in her own abilities, and now that confidence was vindicated.

But any positive feelings faded quickly as Morgan considered Li'rei. "You could have run," Morgan whispered, remembering that the merchant girl had been unharmed. The Chon'sin girl hadn't fled, though. She had stayed, standing protectively over her younger sibling's dying form, hiding her fear behind a determined expression as she tried to wield a weapon she had clearly never used before.

The same hardened expression that Severa had been wearing as she charged around the cart to flank and disarm Li'rei.

"I don't think Sis will be willing to go home after we find the gateway the map points to," Morgan said, seemingly to herself.

From her perch on the windowsill, Ellie flapped her wings lazily, and Morgan knew that her best friend agreed.

"I think she'll ask to stay, even if she really shouldn't," Morgan went on. "She has a baby to look after, and it's been years since she's seen Mom and Dad and everyone else. It doesn't make any sense for her to stay… but I think she'll want to, anyways."

Ellie fidgeted slightly, shifting to face Morgan.

"Yeah, I know. I can slip away whenever I have to," Morgan agreed. "But you know what, Ellie? This is going to sound strange, but… I don't want to do that to her. Maybe it was the look on her face earlier. Or maybe it's because it's because I can't stop thinking about Li'rei and her brother."

Ellie's wings fluttered lightly, and she seemed to quiver with laughter.

"I am _not_ afraid," Morgan grumbled. "I can take care of myself just fine. We've made it this far, haven't we?"

Another soft flutter.

"What was that?" Morgan asked blankly. "Oh. Come on, Ellie. It only took us this long because I spent so much of our money helping the refugees build their new homes here," she protested.

At that, the silver butterfly lifted herself up into the air. She glided across the room, then settled gently upon Morgan's shoulder.

"I guess you're right," Morgan conceded grudgingly. "It would be safer with her around. Owain, too, though his magic is a bit… sketchy. He seems far more comfortable with a sword. It's just… I don't want to send them away, but I'd feel guilty dragging them along with us, too."

Ellie leaned forward, nuzzling Morgan's cheek gently with her polished, metallic wings.

"Alright, alright," Morgan groaned. "When she asks, I won't argue. Well, not too loudly, anyways."

Just then, the door to the small cabin slid open.

"When who asks?" Severa asked, as she entered the small cabin, clutching Ophelia tightly to her chest. Owain followed her in, though he looked back nervously towards the village square.

"Never mind," Morgan said quickly. "How's Ophelia?"

There was a telling pause. "Fine," Severa said, though her apologetic glance at her daughter confirmed Morgan's suspicions. "I think she likes Marian. Marian certainly liked her."

"Granny's good with kids. She misses her own," Morgan said sadly. "When I found her village under attack, I was already too late; she had already lost both of her sons and four of her five grandchildren."

"That's… unthinkable," Owain muttered.

"She's stronger than she looks," Morgan said. "Or maybe she had to become stronger, since she was all her lone surviving granddaughter had left. She'll probably try to take Li'rei and Li'rei's brother under her wing, too."

"What do you think will happen to them?" Severa asked. "Li'rei and her brother, I mean," she clarified quickly.

Morgan shrugged. "They'll have a couple weeks to decide. If they want to return to Chon'sin, or to their grandmother's home, I'll take them there," she said. "But if they choose to stay, I'm sure the other villagers will welcome them. Almost everyone here has been through something similar themselves."

"A couple weeks?" Severa mused. "Do you think you'll be finished with your trip by then?"

"Sure," Morgan said. "Speaking of which, we should probably get going. I've been looking over the map, and I don't think it'll take more than two or three hours to find the gateway. You and Owain should be home by sunset tonight."

"At long last, our arduous road finds closure," Owain said cheerfully, eliciting a curious look from Morgan.

"He's looking forward to it," Severa clarified unnecessarily, misinterpreting Morgan's look.

"Ah," Morgan said, deciding to play along. "What about you, Sis? Are you looking forward to seeing everyone again, too?"

"Yeah, but…" Severa began hesitantly. She glanced uneasily at Owain, who shot her a confused look in return. She took a deep breath. "Morgan, let me come with you," she blurted.

Owain gaped at his wife, but couldn't quite find his voice.

"If this gateway really does lead you to another world, you have no idea what's waiting for you there," Severa went on hastily. "It'll be safer if I'm there with you, and we can return home together when we're finished. I'll still make it home long before Owain and I originally expected."

"But… Severa… I…" Owain stammered.

"What about Ophelia?" Morgan interrupted, though she already knew what was on her sister's mind, and knew Owain wouldn't approve.

"Owain and Ophelia can head back to Castle Ylisse now," Severa suggested.

Owain shook his head vehemently. "No way," he argued. "I'm not leaving you behind, too."

"What, no flowery words or dramatic babbling?" Severa quipped.

"Not for something as important as this," Owain said adamantly. "I promised to remain by your side, remember?"

"Ophelia needs you," Severa reminded him.

"She needs both of us," Owain insisted. "And that means I'm coming with you to make sure you come home safely, too."

"Ow!" Morgan interrupted, and both Severa and Owain turned to see the younger girl glaring at her purported friend, who was drifting about innocently. Morgan sighed helplessly. "If you two both want to come with me, Ophelia can stay here. My friends here can look after her, and we can drop by to check on her anytime," she offered.

"Perfect! Our course is decided, then, and our journey continues!" Owain declared, becoming his usual flamboyant self once more.

Severa, on the other hand, gave her younger sister a hard stare. "That's it? No arguing? You're going to let us come with you, just like that?" she asked suspiciously.

"I knew you were going to ask to come along," Morgan admitted. "And Ellie thinks it's a good idea. She seems to think I'll get sidetracked."

Ellie nudged Morgan's arm insistently.

"Again," Morgan added abashedly.

"Well… umm… thanks, Ellie," Severa said, feeling slightly awkward speaking to a floating metal trinket. She took an involuntary step back when the butterfly soared over to her and landed on her shoulder. "Hey!"

"She says you're welcome," Morgan translated with a grin. "Anyways, I'll go ask Marian about looking after Ophelia for us. I'll be right back, then we can head back to the Vault, okay?"


	5. Chapter 3: Starless Night

**~ Chapter 3 ~**

 **Starless Night**

"How much longer?" Severa asked, tapping her foot impatiently. The somewhat limited light shining from the ring she wore only illuminated part of her face, making her look even sterner than usual.

"Soon," Morgan said, and her calm demeanor remained as infuriatingly unshakeable as ever. She wore an identical ring, as did Owain, and the odd shadows they cast in the underground tunnel flickered ominously around them.

Beside the two, Owain shifted uncomfortably in his new clothes. "Was this really necessary?" he whined, inspecting his new outfit.

"We want to be able to blend in wherever we're going," Morgan reminded. "Don't you like your new yukata? Chon'sin fabrics are so soft and light."

" _Too_ soft and light," Owain grumbled. "It feels like I'm not wearing anything at all."

"You know your robes were far more revealing than this yukata, right?" Severa pointed out wryly.

"To the right set of eyes, my grim and sinister robes shined with limitless potential!" Owain boasted.

"If they were shining, how grim could they be?" Morgan questioned.

"They were shining very darkly, a reflection of the magic bound within them," Owain replied.

"That makes no sense whatsoever," Severa informed him. Then, turning back to Morgan, she repeated her earlier question. "How much longer, Morgan?"

"If you're really that impatient, I could poke my head through and see for myself," Morgan offered, smiling slyly.

"Don't you dare," Severa snapped.

A metallic fluttering noise brought an end to their debate, and Morgan, Severa, and Owain turned to find Ellie drifting beside them. "So… not only does my ring work, but the gateway seems to go both ways," Morgan said cheerily. "Coming home won't be any problem at all."

"I suppose," Severa agreed, hiding her disappointment. Any relief she might have felt was muted by her many remaining doubts.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Morgan asked brightly. "Come on!" Her hand slipped subtly towards Alondite's hilt, but asides from that, she stepped through the gateway without any trace of hesitation.

Severa instinctively reached for her own weapon – a lance taken from the mercenaries they had slain earlier, for Owain was now carrying her sword – then turned around for one last look back, hoping desperately Morgan would be proven right in the end.

Owain noticed Severa's worried look, and offered her a wide, reassuring smile.

Severa looked away quickly, hiding her own smile, though she had a feeling Owain wasn't fooled. Suddenly, despite her earlier suggestion to send Owain back to Ylisse first, she was very glad to have her husband with her still.

* * *

The other side of the gateway looked very much like the side they had just left. They were still underground, with the only sources of light being Morgan's three lantern rings.

"Interesting place," Severa noted sarcastically.

"It is, isn't it?" Morgan agreed absently, stooping down and inspecting the uneven stone floor.

"Err… have we gone anywhere?" Owain asked, looking back at the gateway behind them. "This place doesn't look any different."

"It's different," Morgan assured him. "The stone here is darker. We're still in some sort of cave, but it's not the same one."

"Maybe we found the wrong gateway, and it just took us to somewhere else in the Vault," Severa suggested.

"Maybe," Morgan conceded. She pulled out a long coil of rope and dropped one end beside the gateway. "Let's find out. Come on. This tunnel slopes upward. Let's see if we can find the surface."

"What's the rope for?" Owain asked curiously.

"For tying up anyone we run into. You know, so we can question them properly," Morgan replied with a wink. She started off then, and her true intent quickly became apparent; by unravelling the rope as she went, she was leaving a clear trail back to the gateway. They forged on, and after reaching a couple of forks in the tunnel, they found themselves at a dead end.

"Now what?" Severa prompted impatiently.

Morgan shrugged indifferently. "Now we go back and try another tunnel," she said, sounding far from discouraged. "Look on the bright side, Sis. We haven't seen any other gateways, right? So at least we're not in the Vault anymore… probably."

"Probably?" Severa echoed doubtfully.

Morgan didn't answer and simply turned back, humming merrily as she began retracing their steps. They quickly returned to the most recent fork and ventured down the other path, and though they found more forks, and subsequently more dead ends, it seemed as if nothing was capable of dampening the younger girl's mood.

And then they came to another fork, and Morgan stopped so suddenly that Severa's immediate reaction was to reach for her pilfered lance.

"What is it?" Owain asked nervously, his hand closing over the hilt of his sword.

In answer, Morgan stuck one finger in her mouth, moistening her fingertip. Then she held up her hand, and her expression became one of triumph.

"Wind?" Severa guessed.

Morgan nodded. "We're almost at the surface," she said. Then, after a moment's thought, she pointed down one of the tunnels. "This way," she guessed.

* * *

If it wasn't for the sudden rush of fresh air, Morgan might not have even realized that they were near a cave opening. The change in atmosphere was unmistakable, however, and Morgan let out a gleeful cheer and she held her ring up high, illuminating the cavern entrance. "We're here!" she sang triumphantly, darting out to stand beneath the presumably open sky.

It was as if they had stepped out into the darkest night imaginable. The skies were entirely black, as if obscured by a thick and perfectly even layer of pitch black clouds. Only the faintest trace of light could be seen glowing from amidst the clouds, possibly a mere reflection of light from below.

Morgan held her hand up high, casting the light from her ring far and wide, illuminating the grassy downhill slope. They had indeed emerged from a cave of some sort, set in a small hill, but the world around them seemed little more than a featureless plain.

"This place is amazing," Owain marveled quietly, as he and Severa moved to Morgan's side.

"It is, isn't it?" Morgan agreed.

Severa wrinkled her nose, unimpressed. It reminded her of another land she and Owain had visited, only it was even more dour and oppressive. The barren landscape didn't do much to improve her opinion of the place. "What's so special about it?" she asked.

"The darkness beckons to me," Owain whispered. "I can feel its power beckoning from the murky shadows, resonating with…"

"Not helpful," Severa interrupted.

"Well, it is pretty dark out here," Morgan said innocently.

Severa sighed, and her face sank behind her palms. "I can see that," she groaned, her voice muffled. "So, we got here on a cloudy night. What's the big deal?"

"No," Morgan corrected softly, bending down to touch the uneven ground. "This plant stuff isn't ordinary grass. It's more like… cave moss. Cave moss and mushrooms. These are plants that can grow with very little light. It's not just nighttime. This darkness must be the curse that the Fireman spoke of."

"Darkness?" Severa frowned. She looked up into the sky, and felt as if she was staring into nothing at all. "You mean this world doesn't have a sun? No moon or stars, either?"

"This world is a cursed land, robbed of its celestials, doomed to be cloaked forever in… emptiness," Owain whispered.

"Or maybe it never had them to begin with. Who knows?" Morgan said. "Look over there, though," she added, pointing off into the distance. Severa and Owain obeyed, and saw a faint prick of light off in the distance. "Doesn't that look like it could be a fire of some sort?"

"Hmm… maybe," Severa said thoughtfully. "But it looks a bit white to be a fire." She then looked down at the lantern ring upon her hand, the magical light source Morgan had given her. "Could it be a magical light, like your rings?"

Morgan shrugged. "Let's go find out," she decided, and without warning, she raced off into the darkness, her own ring marking her path for her companions.

Severa groaned. "She is such a…" she began, though she seemed to have a hard time finding the right word.

"A child?" Owain offered.

"We should've just knocked her out and dragged her home for Mom and Dad to deal with," Severa grumbled. She had to admit to herself that it was only bluster, though; she knew she would never willingly raise a finger against her youngest sister, no matter how exasperatingly childish Morgan proved to be.

Owain chuckled, seeing through his wife easily enough, and the two of them hurried to catch up to Morgan, afraid to let the younger girl too far out of their sight.

* * *

The trio's journey remained uneventful for some time. The rolling, mossy hills seemed to go on forever, blending into a seamless, unchanging scene. The ambient noises spoke of small birds and critters moving about, but any nearby wildlife steered clear of the limited light from the enchanted rings.

Every now and then, Morgan – who remained in the lead – would glance back towards her companions. At first, Morgan's endlessly cheerful demeanor worried her sister, but after a couple hours, Severa realized that her younger sister was checking back at fairly regular intervals. Despite Morgan's carefree expression, she remained firmly on her guard and was constantly on the lookout for danger.

"You're still a tactician at heart, aren't you?" Severa quietly mused. Something didn't quite add up, though. If Morgan had spoken truthfully to them about the peaceful state of Ylisse, she shouldn't have seen any sort of fighting before leaving home on her own. She must have studied field tactics from their father, or, more likely, her older twin, who the younger girl had always been close to. It seemed even more bizarre now that she had chosen to strike out on her own.

Severa was still pondering the paradox that was her youngest sister when Morgan looked back again, and the young tactician's expression suddenly contorted with fear.

"Sis, look out!" Morgan cried.

With reflexes honed throughout years of battle, Severa instinctively charged forward before spinning around and bracing her newly acquired lance defensively. Beside her, Owain reacted similarly, diving into a quick roll and drawing his sword.

Behind them loomed a shadowy creature, barely visible by the light of their rings. The hulking form looked roughly humanoid, but stood over ten feet tall. One of its arms – a disproportionately thick, fingerless appendage resembling a club – slammed down at Severa.

As soon as she saw the size of her opponent, Severa began withdrawing her weapon. The creature's arm slammed forcefully into her lance anyways, and had she been standing firm, the blow would have easily snapped the weapon's wooden shaft in half. Instead, she was lifted entirely into the air and thrown back several steps, only barely managing to catch herself as she landed.

Owain darted between Severa and their mysterious attacker, but he hesitated slightly as he struck, for his shadowy target seemed insubstantial. His swing connected, and he felt great resistance, as if he were cutting into ordinary, living flesh.

The creature emitted an unearthly, bloodcurdling wail, and Owain drew back in surprise. Then a wave of energy soared over Owain, slamming into the creature's neck. Recovering quickly, Owain darted forward, capitalizing upon the opening Morgan had bought him and cutting deep into the creature's torso.

The shadow seemed to shrink and grow denser. Then it burst noiselessly, spraying Owain with a gritty black powder that felt like course sand. The blond cried out in agony, dropping his sword and rubbing furiously to purge the stinging grains from his eyes.

"Owain, get back!" Morgan ordered, quickly spotting more movements in the darkness.

Owain, blinded and distracted as he was, could not react in time. Thankfully, Severa reached him first, seizing him by the arm and forcefully throwing him to the ground a split second before a second of the hulking creatures could crush his skull. Then a third beast, identical to the first two, emerged from the darkness, and Severa found herself dangerously flanked.

Undaunted, the veteran lancer twirled a full circle, gracefully spinning her lance around her to drive both opponents back. One of the two creatures wisely backed away, but the other pressed on, and Severa felt her lance slicing through her shadowy foe's torso. Sensing a quick kill, Severa drove her leading heel into the soft soil, breaking her momentum with her lance still embedded in her victim's chest. Then, with a wicked grin, she jabbed her lance in deeper.

The wounded creature shuddered and began to shrink, even as its companion advanced upon Severa once more. Severa, remembering how the first of the creatures had blinded Owain, shut her eyes tightly and skittered away. As she retreated, she felt a shower of grit against her face, as if she had been caught in a sudden sandstorm.

"I'm on your left!" Morgan said. Upon hearing the call, Severa instinctively weaved right, and she felt a rush of air as her younger sister surged by her. The remaining shadow creature screeched in pain, and Severa redoubled her efforts to wipe her face clean.

By the time Severa dared to open her eyes once more, the battle was almost over. Owain had rejoined the battle, and had flanked their remaining foe with Morgan. The lumbering creature spun to strike at its larger foe, its heavy arms flailing wildly, but Owain easily sidestepped the poorly aimed strike. At the same time, Morgan nimbly weaved beneath her opponent's outstretched arms, launching a quick forward thrust. The clever tactician retracted her blade almost as soon as it connected, then leapt up into the air, twirling to throw her weight behind a powerful, diagonal slash.

"Close your eyes!" Morgan warned Owain, but she needn't have spoken, for Owain was already diving away frantically. Morgan herself was less fortunate; she had closed her eyes while sweeping her coat protectively in front of her face, but she was a split second too slow, earning a mouthful of the ashen powder for her troubles.

"Are you alright?" Severa asked, crouching down at Morgan's side and fighting hard not to laugh.

"What were those ghastly fiends?" Owain wondered, looking around tentatively as if he were afraid there were more of the creatures lurking just out of sight.

"I'm not sure," Morgan admitted, spitting out the last of the sand. "That powdery stuff tastes disgusting, though."

"They died easily enough," Severa commented uncaringly. Though she, too, kept an eye out for any further danger, her mind dwelled on something odd she had noticed during the battle. Morgan's swordplay had seemed intimately familiar, but it was not the defensive and reactive style favored by their father and the older Morgan. "Who taught you to wield a sword, Morgan?" she asked.

"Me?" Morgan asked, surprised by the question. Then, understanding why Severa had asked, she smiled impishly. "You already know, don't you?"

"Lucina," Severa guessed, and her sister's smile widened, confirming her guess. "But why? I thought you would've trained with the older Morgan. You're using her sword, after all."

"She moved away from Ylisstol years ago," Morgan reminded. "Mom, Dad, and I visited her a lot, but then she and I would spend most of our time reading together. She hasn't used a sword much lately, anyways. Neither has Dad, for that matter, so I ended up training with Lucina and her Shepherds in the castle instead."

"What about the younger Severa? Or me?" Owain asked curiously.

Morgan made a face. "Neither of them really care much for weapons anymore," she explained, sounding disappointed. "Well, Owain never did. Severa and I used to play together with toy weapons when we were little, but then she just kind of lost interest in it."

"Really?" Severa asked, surprised. She had expected the opposite, imagining that her younger self would be the restless one, playing with weapons and eager to see the world, while the younger Morgan could be more content living a peaceful life in Ylisstol.

"I think it has to do with something that Uncle Chrom said," Morgan continued. "Lucina and Severa were always talking about how they'd join the Shepherds together when they grew up. Then, when we were celebrating Lucina's tenth birthday, she asked her dad about Falchion. Uncle Chrom promised it would be hers one day… but he also said that he hoped she would never need to use it. After that day, it was like Lucina and Severa forgot all about the Shepherds."

Severa understood, of course; in every war she had ever fought in, she and everyone she had fought beside had been hoping to spare the following generation from the same fate. What bothered her was that Morgan was surely clever enough to understand, too, and yet, by all appearances, she simply didn't care.

"Ah, well," Morgan said cheerfully, interrupting Severa's train of thought. "We should hurry and see what that light is. It's getting late… I think. It's hard to tell for sure, really." She looked up at the dark, featureless sky thoughtfully, then shook her head and resumed her march towards the distant light.

* * *

After a couple uneventful hours, the source of the light finally became clear. Mighty walls of chiseled stone bricks formed a large enclosure, ringing what must have been a fairly sizable city. Only one of the buildings within the city was tall enough to be seen from beyond the wall: a solitary tower crested with a sphere of pure light, resembling a small sun.

"A lighthouse! So that's what that light was!" Morgan crowed delightedly.

"In the middle of an open grassland, no less," Severa remarked. "Or moss land, maybe, since grass apparently doesn't grow in this world."

"It may," Owain interrupted, gesturing towards the even farmland surrounding the city walls. Rows of crops appeared to be flourishing, and several farmers seemed to be hard at work, gathering various brightly colored fruits and vegetables and loading them into small wheelbarrows.

"That's weird," Morgan remarked, turning to look beyond the city.

"What's weird?" Severa asked.

"You've never seen vegetables growing indoors by torchlight, have you?" Morgan asked.

Severa gave her an odd look. "Of course not," she said.

"That's because vegetables don't really grow properly that way," Morgan said. "Most plants need sunlight to grow. No one's really sure why, either. Some say the sun has magic of its own that we don't understand. Others claim that plants need natural light for some reason."

"But this world doesn't have a sun," Owain reminded, looking up into the sky once again. The area around them seemed thoroughly lit, though not as brightly as the world they had come from, but the sky itself remained a smooth blanket of darkness.

"But it has those instead," Morgan said, pointing past the city. Off in the distance, several other spheres of light floated along the horizon. It was hard to tell for sure, but most looked to be lighthouses like the one standing within the nearby city. One of the lights was distinguishably larger than the rest, casting a far greater light that almost reached where Morgan, Severa, and Owain were standing.

"More lighthouses?" Owain guessed.

"Likely," Morgan agreed. "But the light coming from them doesn't look like light from a fire. A mystery for tomorrow, I guess."

"Tomorrow?" Severa echoed.

"Sure. I bet it's already dark out back in Water's Edge," Morgan said. "Come on. Let's go get some sleep. The city will still be here tomorrow, I hope."

Only then did Severa realize how tired she was. "Good idea," she agreed, stifling a yawn. Beside her, Owain nodded his agreement. Morgan triggered her ring, and this time, the few minutes it took for the rift to appear felt excruciatingly long.

* * *

To Morgan's chagrin, her estimate had been slightly off; the sun was already high in the late morning sky, peering brightly at them as if to greet their return. With a sheepish shrug, Morgan led the way down to the village. It looked as if the villagers had awoken hours ago.

"You two should head over to that big house over there," Morgan said, indicating a nearby building. "That's where Granny Marian lives. Most newcomers to the village stay with her, at least until we find them a permanent place to stay. Say hi to Ophelia for me, okay? And Li'rei and her brother, too, if you see them." Severa and Owain nodded, and the younger girl set off towards her own cabin with a lazy wave farewell.

Severa and Owain reached Marian's home soon after, and after briefly checking in on Ophelia – who was just coming awake and seemed perfectly happy with her caretaker – the weary couple retired to another of the rustic home's guestrooms. They did not wake until much later in the day, when hunger finally roused them from their slumber and they found Marian waiting for them in the dining room with a large pan laden with various roasted fruits and vegetables.

"Good evening," Marian greeted warmly. Ophelia – who was seated beside the kindly old woman – began moving towards her mother and father immediately. Marian proved to be far faster than she looked, catching the little girl before she could fall out of her chair.

"Thank you," Severa said, taking her daughter into her arms. Ophelia stopped fussing soon almost immediately, and adopted a contented, sleepy look. "Silly girl," Severa chided quietly.

"Sit down and eat," Marian urged, laying out two more table settings. She smiled knowingly as Owain began hungrily tearing into the offered food. "Long day, was it?"

"Very," Severa replied, and though she seemed to be in less of a hurry than her husband, her own plate was piled just as high.

Marian sighed. "Your sister is just a fiery little ball of energy, isn't she?" she said wistfully. "I do wish she'd take better care of herself, but she's the stubborn sort. She must have driven you and your parents crazy when she was little."

Suddenly, Severa found it hard to swallow her food. "Not… not really," Severa admitted, setting her fork down. "When I left, she was just about the most easygoing person I knew, but I've been gone for several years now."

"Ah. Wanderlust runs in the family then, doesn't it?" Marian asked, smiling warmly. "Be sure to pace yourself. You too, Owain. Lady Morgan never seems to rest as she goes from one of her schemes to the next. Don't burn yourselves out trying to keep up with her, you hear?"

"Our own drive for justice and adventure is every bit as tireless," Owain assured Marian. He leaned closer to Severa and Ophelia as he spoke, reaching over to gently stroke his daughter's face, who giggled happily.

"Why do I even try to reason with you kids?" Marian said with a chuckle. "Just take care of her, and of yourselves, alright? Your little girl is happy enough here, but she needs you."

"We will," Severa promised. "This world has seen far too many kids left without parents already. Owain and I won't be making that mistake."

* * *

After their meal, Severa and Owain made their way across the village to Morgan's cabin. Ellie was outside alone, drifting idly by the front door, but when Severa approached, the little butterfly began flapping her wings enthusiastically, as if in greeting.

"Is Morgan awake yet?" Severa asked, not really expecting an answer. She reached for the door, but her hand had just closed around the handle when she noticed Morgan's voice drifting through the open window.

"Sorry, I've got to go," Morgan said quickly. "Ellie's calling me. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

Severa shot Ellie a dirty look, understanding now that little silver butterfly's sudden flurry of motion must have been intended as a warning of some sort. She then flung the door open, wondering who Morgan was speaking with and why she would set Ellie outside to keep watch.

But Morgan was alone, and appeared to be making her bed. "Hey, Sis," the younger girl greeted casually, as if nothing were wrong. Then she seemed to notice her older sister's expression. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone," Severa said. She peered around the uncluttered cabin, but short of the storage trunks, there was really nowhere for anyone to hide. The building's only window was right beside its single entrance, too, leaving no other exit.

"Oh, I was just talking to myself," Morgan explained nonchalantly.

Nevertheless, Severa stormed across the room and flipped both of Morgan's storage trunks open. There were piles of books, various mechanical instruments, a few spare weapons, and some small pouches here and there, but no sign of anyone.

"What are you looking for?" Morgan asked curiously as she scooped up her traveling pouch from where it was lying on her bed and tied it to her sash.

"Nothing," Severa said sheepishly. "You ready to go? Marian asked Owain and I to bring you over to her house so you can have dinner before we leave. Or breakfast, or whatever you want to call it."

"Oh, I already ate," Morgan said, gesturing towards some tangerine peels lying on her otherwise empty desk.

Severa sighed, though in truth, she wasn't surprised. "A single fruit isn't a meal. Come along, Morgan. We'll wait for you to finish eating before setting out."

"You sound just like Mom. Or Granny," Morgan said, rolling her eyes. Still, she conceded the point, and after discarding her tangerine peels, she began reluctantly following her sister back across the village towards Marian's home.


	6. Chapter 4: Helios

**~ Chapter 4 ~**

 **Helios**

Almost as soon as she stepped through the rift, Morgan saw that the world around them had changed from when they had left. The world seemed darker and grimmer than before, almost like the wilderness where they had first arrived. The crop fields around the city were barely visible through the gloom, and were now completely deserted.

Morgan paused briefly, waiting until Severa and Owain followed her through the rift, then dismissed the rift before turning to the nearby city's lighthouse. It looked much the same as before, thoroughly illuminating the city itself, but little else. Morgan then peered off into the distance, searching for the other spheres of light she had spotted earlier. Though the shadowed horizon was still punctuated by the other mysterious light sources, the largest of them had diminished significantly, and the wide expanse between the city and the distant lights had faded into the darkness.

"Is it just me, or did this place get even darker somehow?" Severa grumbled, mirroring her younger sister's thoughts.

"That giant light in the distance shrank," Morgan said thoughtfully, without sharing in Severa's negativity. "These fields were all lit up just yesterday… or earlier today, or whenever it was when we were last here. Now it's just the lighthouse in the city, and it's not shining brightly enough to reach past the walls."

Unlike Severa and Morgan, Owain seemed more intent on the region past the city, the stretch of land between the nearby city and the distant lights. Several misshapen objects that resembled trees or clumps of foliage were scattered across the open plains, a stark contrast to the barren, moss covered wasteland where they had first emerged. "This place looks more alive than the wilderness where we arrived," he observed.

At his words, Morgan curiously looked towards the plains, and seemed put off when she could not make out the distinct shapes in the dark. "We should have taken a better look when it was still light out," she said regretfully, but her expression lightened almost immediately after as a strange thought occurred to her.

"What is it?" Severa prompted impatiently, noticing the subtle shift.

"When it was still light out," Morgan repeated herself in a wondering tone. "This world may not have a sun, but its people could still have days and nights."

Severa understood immediately. "When we first found this city, it was late morning back upon your island. When we left Water's Edge just now, it was already hours past sunset," she mused. "It fits, I suppose, but… how? Those other lights have to be miles away from us. Not only can they cast a light so far, but they can be turned on and off?"

"It's pretty impressive," Morgan agreed. "It has to be some sort of magic. No fire can burn so brightly for so long. I guess whoever created these lights had to find some way to turn them off at night so that people could still sleep."

"That can't be it," Owain interrupted. "This city's lighthouse is still keeping the city brightly lit, and it doesn't look like anyone lives beyond the walls."

"That's kind of weird," Severa said, scanning the nearby farms again. "There's no farmhouses out here. Why would the farmers want to live away from their fields? That seems terribly inconvenient."

"I think they're afraid of something. Maybe those strange monsters we fought earlier," Morgan guessed, indicating the city's formidable walls. She then shrugged. "Guess there's only one way to find out for sure." She started off towards the city gate, pausing only to remove and stash her lantern ring, knowing from experience that such magical trinkets could easily alarm people unaccustomed to them.

* * *

Morgan wasn't overly surprised to find half a dozen guards waiting at the city's entrance. Four of the guards wore thick white robes, similar in design to Owain's yukata but adorned with simple golden markings. The remaining two guards were clad in polished plate armor of some whitish metal, decorated with the same golden markings as the robes their comrades wore. Neither of the armored guards wore helmets, leaving their faces clearly visible.

Morgan put on her brightest and friendliest smile as she, Severa, and Owain approached the guards, but her intended greeting caught in her throat when the guards noticed them.

Four of the six guards – including one of the armored guards – wore expressions of mixed horror and outrage. The second armored guard began looking back and forth, licking his lips nervously as if he were terribly afraid of something. The last of the guards, a slender dark-haired man who appeared to be a few years younger than Severa, merely seemed amused. Incidentally, though he wore no armor, he was the only one of the guards who was visibly armed. A pair of sleek, curved swords dangled from his silken sash, forged from gleaming white metal and radiating a soft, soothing light.

After a few seconds, the bolder of the two armored guards finally found his voice. "What are you playing at!?" he barked angrily. He rushed towards a nearby weapon rack, retrieving a polearm with a finely polished wooden shaft and a long, slightly arched blade that glimmered in the same fashion as his armor and his comrade's swords. Three more identical polearms still rested upon the rack, as well as a long, asymmetrical bow.

Most of the other guards suddenly began scrambling for their weapons, too, but the robed swordsman interceded quickly, resting a calming hand upon the first guard's shoulder. "Oh, relax, Willard. It's just a couple of dumb kids trying out their costumes," he said calmly. "The Harvest Festival is just around the corner, after all."

"A couple of dumb kids?" the first guard sneered. "They're breaking curfew. You were a dumb kid yourself, and even you've never done anything quite as dumb as that."

"Or I was never caught," the robed swordsman replied flippantly, eliciting a series of scowls from the other guards.

Willard rolled his eyes. "Helios, Sun Guard, Fourth Class," he drawled mockingly. He then spat on the ground before stomping angrily. "What a joke. Now quit making us all look like miscreants and go fetch the captain."

"Over a couple of delinquents being out ten minutes after curfew?" the robed swordsman asked, arching one eyebrow. "Well, it's your funeral." He turned and strode away, and once he was out of sight, the remaining guards rounded angrily upon the three visitors once more.

Morgan frowned when she saw the guards' fierce expressions, wondering briefly if she and her companions were about to have another fight on their hands.

"What are you morons doing out there still?" the guard the swordsman had called Willard demanded. "Get in here before the Nightmares show up, and don't you even _think_ about going anywhere before the captain shows up!"

"Yes, sir!" Morgan agreed hastily, and she moved past the guards to stand within the walls. Though she did her best to look relaxed, her right hand slipped closer to Alondite's hilt.

Severa proved far less subtle, and she tightly gripped the lance strapped to her back as she, too, drew closer to the guards. "What's this about a curfew?" she scowled.

All five of the guards turned and stared at her incredulously.

"Are you joking?" the second armored guard – the one who had been looking timidly about earlier – asked.

"She's just drunk," Willard said in disgust. "A bit early for that if you ask me, but what more did you expect from a bunch of degenerates like these?"

"That's it," Severa growled, and she would have unstrapped her lance then if not for her sister quickly clasping her hand to restrain her.

"I'm sorry," Morgan said apologetically. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"Trouble? Hah!" Willard scoffed. "The only trouble here is that which you and your friends are in when the captain shows up."

"Then you plan to hold these three until dawn?"

Willard's grimaced when he noticed the dark-haired swordsman's return. "Helios? What are you doing back here already? And where's the captain?" he asked.

"How long did you think it would take me to stop by Headquarters? It's less than two blocks from here," the robed swordsman replied dryly, pointing backwards over his shoulder. "As for the captain, he's down at the bathhouse again. Don't tell me you're surprised; he's been visiting the mixed bathes nightly of late, upholding the honor and responsibilities of his station, I suppose."

The armored guard's face went purple. "Just what are you implying?" he barked angrily.

"You heard me the first time Willard," the robed swordsman chuckled. "Or maybe not. Maybe you're the one who could use a bath. Give those ears of yours a good rinsing."

"He could certainly use a bath," another of the robed guards said, pinching his nose and laughing. A couple of the others joined in, which only seemed to incense Willard further.

"Anyhow, I'll take care of these… ah… delinquents," the robed swordsman promised, turning to Morgan, Severa, and Owain. His expression grew grave. "You three, come with me, and I highly recommend against making any more trouble for yourselves."

"Owain Dark fears no…" Owain began to proclaim, but Morgan elbowed him quickly to shut him up.

"No trouble," Morgan promised hastily, falling in line behind the swordsman.

* * *

Once away from the other guards, Morgan began examining the robed swordsman more closely. The man's measured and graceful stride hinted towards him being a skilled fighter in his own right. He was taller than Morgan had initially thought – likely due to his lean and tightly-packed frame – and stood at just over six feet in height. His eyes had a distinctly exotic, almost almond-like shape, vaguely reminding Morgan of the people of Chon'sin, but he spoke without the distinguished accent common to those hailing from that particular Valmese country. The swordsman's face was clean shaven, contrasting with his disorderly, medium-length hair. "Umm… your name's Helios, right?" Morgan asked.

"That's right," the robed swordsman replied nonchalantly. He glanced over his shoulder as if to ensure none of his companions were following him, then dropped his more serious façade. "That Willard's a pain, isn't he?" he chuckled.

"I… yeah, I guess," Morgan agreed, taken aback. "Where are you taking us?"

"I should be taking you down to Headquarters for questioning, but that's the last place I want to be right now, truth be told," Helios replied lightly. "So unless you _really_ want to be interrogated, let's just walk around for a bit. Then we can skip to the part where I let you go."

"Just like that? The other guards seemed pretty upset," Severa frowned.

"Breaking curfew is quite serious," Helios conceded. "But really, what's the Sun Guard to do about it? It's for your own safety, after all. The most we can do is give you a stern lecture, and if you're still trying to get yourselves killed after that, well… there's not a whole lot more we can do about it. Besides, you three don't look like troublemakers to me. You probably just got separated from your caravan, or last track of time while foraging, right?"

"Something like that," Morgan answered evasively. "Is it really that dangerous out there?"

That comment stopped Helios in his tracks. "You're kidding, right?" he asked Morgan, frowning. "Your toy weapons are nice and all, but Nightmares don't scare that easily." Even as he spoke, he took a closer look at the sword Morgan carried, and his expression hardened. "That sword's awfully sharp for a costume prop," he said accusingly. "Who are you three, and what _were_ you doing out of the city after curfew?"

"Weren't we going to skip the interrogation?" Morgan asked lightly, sounding unconcerned.

Helios glanced again at Severa and Owain, too, paying particular note to their weapons. His suspicious was gradually replaced by one of mild interest. "We were, but you piqued my curiosity. Your sword looks awfully detailed, and nothing like anything I've ever seen before," he said with a shrug. "Same goes for that glaive of yours." He said the latter with a nod towards Severa's lance. "Plus… well, let's just say I've done my own share of rule bending, and even I'd think twice about staying out too late."

"You have?" Morgan asked, unable to contain her surprise. "But you're a guard, aren't you? Sun Guard?"

Helios stared for a long while before speaking again. "Only Willard's dumb enough to think everyone in the Sun Guard a saint," he said slowly. He shook his head. "All right. At this point, I have to know. What exactly are you three up to? Tell it to me straight, and I promise I'll turn a blind eye if it's nothing serious."

Severa looked to Owain, hoping that her husband's penchant for storytelling could provide them with a believable excuse. Thankfully, he caught on immediately.

"Alas, our tale is long and tedious," Owain said, feigning disappointment. "Though I assure you, our intentions are nothing but pure."

"It's not _that_ long or tedious," Morgan interrupted quickly.

"Unless your friend tells it?" Helios guessed wryly. "Go on, then, and keep it short, please."

"We're visitors from another world, here for some sightseeing," Morgan said brightly.

In his sudden fit of laughter, Helios didn't notice the incredulous looks Severa and Owain wore. "Another world, eh? Priceless," he chortled. "If you were a few years older, I'd buy you a drink for that one. Say, what's your name, anyways?"

"I'm Morgan," Morgan volunteered. She then looked to her two companions, and when it became clear that neither were about to say anything, she added, "This is my sister, Severa, and her husband, Owain."

"Nice to meet you all," Helios said, acknowledging them with a nod. "Now, seriously, am I going to get into trouble for letting you three go? You don't look like Nihilists, but if you manage to get yourselves into any more trouble, Willard's bellyaching will become downright intolerable."

"Nihilists?" Owain asked, before he could stop himself. He clapped a hand over his mouth, but the damage had already been done.

Helios gave Owain another hard stare. Then the pieces finally clicked into place, and he turned back to Morgan, a look of dawning realization upon his face.

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Morgan guessed.

Helios shook his head in disbelief. "Another world," he whispered, awed.

Morgan shrugged sheepishly. "Any chance we can keep that between us for now?" she asked hopefully. "Maybe instead of you interrogating us, we could find some place quiet to hole up and talk."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Morgan," Severa interrupted warningly.

"Oh, it is," Helios said quickly. "Unless this is all some sort of elaborate prank, it's probably best if you don't tell too many people where you're from."

"Why not?" Morgan blurted.

Helios's expression darkened. "Because you've come to the wrong world if you're looking for sights to see," he replied. "Whatever world you came from almost certainly has prettier sights in store for you than anything you can hope to find here, and if the people here catch wind of where you're from, many of them will want to go with you when you eventually leave."

"Oh good. We've started a mass migration," Severa said, rolling her eyes.

"And there's probably more than a few who wouldn't approve of that," Helios added darkly. "Now come on. Let's get off the streets. There's a park near the Sun Spire that's always deserted at this hour." Having said his piece, he started off without waiting to see if the other three were following.

After a moment's hesitation, Morgan set off in pursuit, only to be quickly halted by her sister.

"We only met this guy a few minutes ago, and we barely know him. Are you sure we should be following him?" Severa asked nervously.

"Nope," Morgan replied cheerily, before pulling away and running to catch up to Helios.

* * *

After traversing several blocks of paved brick roads and passing by several squat and rather drab buildings, Helios finally came to a stop beside a large meadow. The city's lighthouse stood only a short distance away, and its light glistened off the verdant leaves of the surprisingly normal trees ringing the meadow.

"Is that lighthouse the Sun Spire you mentioned?" Morgan guessed, nodding towards the rather impressive structure. There appeared to be a large crystal of some sort at the top of the lighthouse, gleaming much like the gemstones upon her lantern rings.

"Lighthouse?" Helios asked with a frown. "Is that what you call the Sun Spires of your world?"

"Umm… maybe?" Morgan shrugged. "Lighthouses are usually built along coastlines so that ships can tell when they're nearing the shore even when it's dark or foggy."

"When it's dark…" Helios repeated wonderingly. "Well, if your world ever _isn't_ dark, that's a stark improvement in itself."

"Oh, right," Morgan said sheepishly, realizing then that coastlines, ships, and even fog could all be as foreign to Helios as the strange lighthouse was to her.

Helios looked around quickly, then gestured towards the meadow. "This way," he said, before marching out towards the center of the field.

Severa quickened her pace to catch up to the Sun Guard. "Did you see the old man watching us from across the street?" she warned, looking back towards the hunched figure.

"Sure did," Helios said disinterestedly. "Don't worry. He's just out for a stroll. He comes by the meadow, but never dawdles for long."

"Do you come here often?" Owain asked.

"Somewhat," Helios replied. "I don't really get along with the others in my patrol. Whenever I find that I can't stand them anymore, I slip away to do some training on my own. Most of them never object."

"Training, huh?" Morgan said thoughtfully. "Is that how you earned your rank? Fourth Class, right?"

"My rank?" Helios laughed derisively. "Fourth Class is the bottom of the barrel, as far as the Sun Guard goes. It's where all the new recruits begin, and where most of them end, too. Those who make Third Class become patrol leaders out here in the Reaches, or, if they're lucky, get transferred over to Sol Hearth."

"Sol Hearth?" Morgan and Owain asked together.

Helios paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "You three have no idea how strange this is, do you?" he said. "Everyone knows of Sol Hearth, or so I thought. It's the capital of Monolith, named for the Solcryst."

"You do remember when we told you that we're new around here, right?" Severa snapped impatiently. "We've never heard of Monolith, or of this soul crystal thing."

Helios cringed. "Oh, I know," he said. "It just feels incredibly odd having to explain this to someone."

Just then, they reached the center of the field. Helios casually laid down upon the soft grass, and with a start, Morgan noticed for the first time that the grass beneath their feet was just like the grass in Ylisse or Valm.

"I'm probably not the best person to explain this, but I'll do my best," Helios said. "The world you three came from… it has a sun, doesn't it?"

"You've heard of the sun?" Severa asked sharply. "How?"

"I suppose that's as good a place to start as any," Helios sighed. "The stories claim that centuries ago, the heavens were constantly alight. The sun – a great fiery orb of golden light – would slowly crawl across the sky each day. When it finally sank beyond the western horizon, thousands of smaller lights would appear in the sky, peering down upon us and promising that the sun would dawn again. Life was simpler back then. There were no Nightmares driving us to cower around the Sun Spires… there were no Sun Spires, for that matter."

"Then this world hasn't always been this dark?" Morgan asked. She laid down beside Helios, and like the Sun Guard, she began staring upward into the empty, lightless sky. "What happened?"

"Mankind happened, if the legends are to be believed," Helios answered wryly. "Life was easy and carefree, so we turned to other pursuits to occupy our time. Some discovered art and music. Others preferred to laze about, enjoying the fruits of their mild labors. And then there were those who turned to magic, hoping to bend the very rules that define reality. Icarus was one such man."

"Icarus," Owain mused, giving the name careful consideration. "A fine name, worthy of legend."

"In the worst way possible," Helios said. "Back then, many people believed in gods… beings beyond our sight and comprehension, with powers greater than anything we could hope to achieve ourselves. Icarus didn't just believe in gods… he wanted to become one. He pushed the boundaries of magic farther than they were ever meant to go, until finally, the sun, the warm light in which we basked each day, came alive."

"Wait… the sun came alive?" Severa asked doubtfully.

"Or so the stories say," Helios said. "The sun revealed itself as a god, and for whatever reason, it decided to challenge Icarus. In the end, though Icarus never managed to become a god himself, in his moment of triumph, he had managed to slay one. He destroyed the sun and extinguished the heavens, and in doing so, gave rise to the Nightmares, creatures of the night who seemingly exist only to destroy."

A thoughtful look came over Morgan. "Helios, these Nightmares… they wouldn't happen to look like giant, disfigured people made of shadows, would they?" she guessed, remembering the strange creatures she, Severa, and Owain had battled.

"Some do," Helios replied. "But they come in many different shapes and sizes."

"What happened to Icarus, then? And what does this have to do with the soul thing that you mentioned?" Owain asked.

"Solcryst," Helios corrected. "Icarus was among the first to succumb to the Nightmares. Some call it a cruel twist of fate, while others label it as karmic justice. I suppose it hardly matters which it was. Without the sun, our crops would not grow, we could not fish or hunt, and the Nightmares hounded us constantly. It seemed as if our country, Monolith, was doomed to share Icarus's fate. Finally, just when we were on the brink of extinction, some of the surviving scholars came across the research Icarus had left behind. They discovered one of Icarus's creations, the Solcryst, a massive crystal capable of mimicking the light of the sun. The survivors took refuge under the light of the Solcryst and built the city of Sol Hearth."

"So this Solcryst must have been that larger light we saw earlier," Morgan realized.

"Likely," Helios agreed. "Like the fabled sun, the Solcryst has cycles of its own. During our days, the light of the Solcryst pushes out past the Reaches, the six cities that have since been established at the outer edge of the Solcryst's range. By night, the light recedes until it illuminates only Sol Hearth itself."

"What about your lighthouse, then? This… Sun Spire," Morgan asked, sitting up and turning to look at the nearby tower. "Did your scholars figure out how to duplicate the Solcryst?"

"If only," Helios said wishfully. "When Sol Hearth became too crowded, the same scholars who had discovered the Solcryst tried to duplicate it, but failed. Instead, they could only create these Sun Spires." He gestured towards the nearby tower. "The crystals topping the Sun Spires resemble the Solcryst, but their power is far more limited. They keep the Reaches themselves lit, but that's about it. Still, it's enough to keep the Nightmares at bay, to an extent."

"To an extent?" Severa questioned.

"You've seen the walls and the Sun Guard standing over the gate, haven't you?" Helios remarked, sounding both amused and saddened. "The Sun Guard is Monolith's military. Even with the Sun Spire lighting our city and weakening the Nightmares that dare approach us, the beasts assail our walls at least twice a week. Every month or two, they come at us in even greater numbers, hoping to force their way through. It never works, thankfully, but it does keep us busy." He laughed, but there was a defeated – or at least resigned – tone to his laughter.

Owain shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the story. "This all sounds very… improbable," he said, searching for the right word. "A man slaying a god and smothering the sun, survivors cowering behind his legacy, and an entire country living on the brink of ruin, battling monsters almost daily… it just seems unreal."

"It does, doesn't it?" Helios absently agreed. "And it might not all be real. This was all centuries ago, after all. Maybe the sun faded on its own, and Icarus had nothing to do with it. Maybe there never was an Icarus. Who knows?"

For a few minutes, the meadow remained perfectly silent.

Then Helios spoke again. "Tell me more about your world," he invited.

"Well, it does have a sun," Morgan replied lightly. "And we don't have to worry about monsters like your Nightmares, but we have our own share of problems. Sometimes, I wish monsters were our only troubles, but more often than not, it's other people."

"Let me guess. Greed, pride, selfishness, and stupidity," Helios said.

Morgan nodded.

"It's a tale all too familiar to us here in Monolith, too," Helios sighed. "Guess that's just the way things are, sun or no sun. Oh well. I guess I can't complain too loudly; I've had my own share of stupid moments."

"Haven't we all?" Severa said, staring pointedly at Morgan.

Morgan petulantly stuck her tongue out at her sister. "Say, Helios…" Morgan began again.

"Just call me Hel," Helios interrupted. "It's what my friends call me. All two of them, anyways."

"Hel it is," Morgan agreed. "Earlier, you said some people would want to leave this world. That makes sense, I guess… but you also said some other people wouldn't approve of it. Why is that?"

"Maybe I'm just being overly cynical," Helios admitted. "But life here in Monolith is fairly routine, all things considered. Everyone has their place now, even if some of those places are nicer than others. If people start leaving, it may just shake everything up."

"Change is inevitable, and fear of change even more so," Owain agreed.

"Well, we'll be careful not to let too many people know where we're from," Morgan promised. "Sol Hearth sounds like a pretty neat place, though, and I'd like to see the Solcryst up close, too. It sounds pretty amazing."

"I can get you to Sol Hearth easily enough," Helios offered. "I try to visit as often as I can, anyways. Captain Minos and I don't really get along, so I volunteer to escort caravans whenever I can, and he never objects."

"Really? That would be great," Morgan said gratefully. "Thanks, Hel."

"Think nothing of it," Helios said. "Though I should warn you, few are allowed into Sol Sanctus, the tower in which the Solcryst is housed. You can get a pretty good look at the Solcryst from anywhere inside Sol Hearth, but that's about the best you can hope for."

"Good enough," Morgan decided.

Helios began to nod, but he suddenly froze. A split second later, he leapt to his feet, his hands shooting straight to the hilts of his swords.

"What is it?" Severa asked, alarmed. She, too, reached for her lance.

"They shouldn't be here," Helios mumbled. He slowly drew one of his swords, and the long, elegantly curved blade shimmered white under the Sun Spire's light. Helios brandished the weapon towards the nearby road, indicating several cloaked figures who seemed to be in a great hurry.

"Who are they?" Morgan asked. She climbed quickly her feet, but unlike her sister, made no move for her own weapon.

"Nihilists," Helios guessed grimly. "Few have any reason to skulk around here at this time of the night, and they don't look drunk. Besides, it looks as if they've seen some combat training."

"How can you tell?" Morgan asked, frowning, for she could not discern much about the approaching figures due to their hoods and cloaks.

"And what are Nihilists?" Owain wondered.

"I'm sorry. I'll have to deal with this," Helios apologized. "I'll try to explain everything after." He then drew his second sword, identical to the first, and set off in a hurry.


	7. Chapter 5: Alight into Darkness

**~ Chapter 5 ~**

 **Alight into Darkness**

"Umm… he does realize he's grossly outnumbered, right?" Severa asked worriedly, quickly counting up the nine hooded and cloaked that Helios had raced off to confront.

"That didn't stop you and Owain earlier when those mercenaries were attacking the Chon'sin caravan, did it?" Morgan pointed out with a cheeky grin.

"Those oafs?" Severa scoffed. "Even on my worst day, I could handle a score of those senseless brutes. _We're_ the ones who had _them_ outnumbered."

Owain shot Severa questioning look, for he remembered that particular battle quite differently, but when he saw his wife's fierce glare, he knew better than to voice his disagreement.

Morgan, too, did not press the point. "Then the odds are in our favor now, too, aren't they?" she replied.

"Are you sure we should be getting involved?" Owain asked. "We don't know much about this man, and we know nothing about those others."

"Am I sure?" Morgan repeated, laughing. She drew Alondite from its sheath. "You two really need to stop asking me that."

* * *

Helios sprinted across the meadow, moving so swiftly that he seemed to glide smoothly across the uneven ground. His footfalls were muffled by the soft grass, and it wasn't until he was nearly upon his quarries that one of the cloaked figures finally noticed his approach.

The cloaked man had time only for the briefest warning. "Sun Guard!" he barked, and his companions spun around immediately, just in time to see Helios closing the remaining distance with a powerful leap.

"Good evening," Helios greeted pleasantly. "Please, pardon my intrusion. I could not help but notice that you folks chose an unusual time and place to gather. Are you lost, perhaps? If so, I'd be happy to escort you to your destination."

The cloaked figures exchanged looks, and several of them shifted uncomfortably. One of them finally spoke up. "Thank you, but we're quite alright," the cloaked man declined politely, doing his best to remain composed.

"Might I ask where you and your friends are headed?" Helios asked, and though he spoke politely, his tone made it clear that his words were more of a demand than a request.

The cloaked man who had spoken up before stared at Helios appraisingly, his own face still concealed beneath his hood. "We're off to visit the library," he said carefully. "It's rather unusual, I'm aware, but the nine of us share a passion for old books. We spend many evenings together in the library."

"Ah! What a coincidence!" Helios exclaimed with mock exuberance. "I'm an avid reader as well, and I was just on my way to pick up a book for myself. I have a long shift ahead of me tonight, after all. Why don't we head over there together?" Helios casually sheathed his swords, but did not remove his hands from the hilts.

Again, the cloaked figures looked nervously to one another. "Light take the Sun Guard," one of them finally groaned, before all nine drew back their cloaks in unison, revealing their weapons. Most of them were carrying long, curved knives akin to those used for hunting, but two were equipped with swords similar to Helios's. Their swords seemed to share the shape and craftsmanship of Helios's weapons, but the blades appeared to have been forged from ordinary steel, for they did not gleam nearly as brightly.

Helios reacted so quickly that it looked as if his swords had leapt back into his hands. "Nihilists, then," he nodded, unsurprised. "I figured as much." That's all he managed to say before the Nihilists charged.

Unfortunately for the Nihilists, they had misjudged their foe rather badly. The cloaked fighters swarmed around the robed swordsman, thinking to score a quick victory, but none of them had anticipated their outnumbered opponent to charge at them instead.

Helios pivoted hard as he reached the first of his foes, but kept his forward momentum, spinning into his enemies with his blades sweeping out wide. The Nihilists' ranks broke like a tide against a boulder, and the cloaked fighters scattered aimlessly, desperately fleeing the Sun Guard's deadly reach. Amidst the confusion, Helios zeroed in upon his nearest opponent, driving one sword neatly through the unfortunate man's chest. Then, before any of the doomed man's companions could retaliate, Helios reversed his grip upon his remaining sword. He stepped gracefully aside, extracting his first weapon and dropping his motionless victim to the ground while swiping the second sword protectively behind his back.

The remaining eight Nihilists, realizing that they could not overpower their dangerous adversary, assumed a more defensive posture then. They formed a tight ring around Helios and began their measured approach anew, but they were so focused upon their immediate foe that none of them noticed their predicament worsening. At least, not until Severa and Owain abruptly burst into their ranks.

Two more of the cloaked fighters collapsed immediately. A third yelped painfully as he was struck by a wave of force, then slumped to the ground, staring disbelievingly at Morgan as he fell.

With reinforcements coming to the aid of the lone, yet devastating Sun Guard, the remaining Nihilists knew they were beaten. They turned to flee, but even that proved to be a daunting task. Severa and Owain quickly cut off a pair of them, the former cleanly bashing one of the cloaked fighters into unconsciousness with the shaft of her lance. The other Nihilist tried to steer clear of the dangerous woman, flinging his knife at and weaving around Owain. Owain swiftly ducked beneath the poorly aimed throw, then slashed his attacker's legs from behind, deftly hamstringing the cloaked man.

Meanwhile, the Nihilist who had been farthest from the fighting had taken the long way around, circumventing both Severa and Owain. He hesitated when he laid eyes upon Morgan, remembering the mysterious projectile the little girl had thrown. "You were only seeing things," he muttered quietly to himself. He clenched his jaw tightly and charged, silently reassuring himself that he could easily overpower a girl less than half his size.

When Morgan saw the cloaked man fleeing her way, she allowed her sword to dip towards the ground before presenting her tome with her other hand.

The fleeing man hesitated, taken aback by Morgan's odd reaction. Then, before he could make any sense of the young tactician's choice, he felt as if he had spontaneously burst into flame. He howled in terror and threw himself to the ground, rolling frantically to put out the flames. A moment later, Alondite's hilt struck him squarely on the back of his head, leaving him limp and motionless.

Morgan, Severa, and Owain closed in upon the last two of the Nihilists, but when they saw Helios's whirling blades, they could do little more than stare in awe. The Sun Guard looked as if he were toying with his cloaked opponents, somehow remaining just out of reach of their knives. Every movement the two Nihilists made was promptly cut off, and every attack neatly parried and countered. Their frustration mounted visibly, and each of their foiled attacks seemed more reckless than the last.

Throughout it all, Helios never once stopped moving. Even as his blades darted in and out of the fray, he himself weaved back and forth, repositioning himself constantly so that his opponents could never catch him off guard. His opponents left him opening after opening, but he let them pass unpunished, patiently awaiting the perfect opportunity to end the fight all at once.

The Nihilists finally caved under the mounting pressured. One of the pair roared angrily – an angry, wordless battle cry to mask his exhaustion – before throwing himself forward, as if hoping to tackle the slender Sun Guard to the ground.

The desperate move looked pitifully unimpressive to Helios. He merely retreated a step, lifting his swords to form a defensive cross to catch his foe's knife. A simple upward shove tore the Nihilist's knife from his grasp. Helios then kicked out fiercely, and his foot caught his charging opponent in the groin.

The beaten man crumbled, whimpering feebly, and the last of the Nihilists gasped in horror. She turned and bolted, her hood falling askew as she stumbled over one of her fallen companions. Her sword slipped from her hands, but she ignored it as she continued scrambling away without looking back.

She did not see Helios dropping one of his own swords to catch the falling knife he had wrested from his last victim.

"Oh, you better run!" Helios cried.

The fleeing woman felt a sharp sting in her lower back, and before she could sort out just what had happened, the road seemed to be rushing up to meet her. Mere heartbeats later, her world went dark.

* * *

"You know, if it were just about anyone else, Captain Minos would be pushing for a promotion," Helios lamented as he retrieved his fallen sword. "Since it's me, he'll probably scream himself hoarse instead, before assigning me to every night shift for the rest of the year."

"Who are these people, Hel?" Morgan asked. She stooped down beside the smoldering man she had brought down earlier and began trying to pat out the last of the embers. Severa and Owain began inspecting their victims as well, for they could not help but wonder if they had erred in attacking the so-called Nihilists.

"I'd love to explain, but there's no time," Helios apologized, shaking his head in dismay. "You three need to get out of here, right now. I'm surprised more of the Sun Guard haven't arrived already; a patrol is stationed at the base of the Sun Spire all around the clock, and they must have overheard the fighting."

Before Helios could say anything more, a chorus of shouts rang out loudly from the direction of the Sun Spire.

"Maybe the fighting isn't over yet," Morgan offered.

Helios's expression contorted angrily. "Damn it," he growled. "Look, just try and make yourselves scarce tonight, alright? I've got to go, but if you're still in Aquila's Ascent at this time tomorrow, we can meet up in the park and talk some more."

"Uh-key what?" Owain asked blankly.

"Aquila's Ascent. This city," Helios explained hurriedly, his last words to them before racing off towards the lighthouse.

"Hel, wait!" Morgan called, but the lone Sun Guard did not look back. A few moments later and he was gone, leaving Morgan, Severa, and Owain standing alone in the street with the dead and unconscious Nihilists.

"So… what now?" Severa asked uneasily, eyeing the prone forms sprawled all around them. "If Helios was right about his fellow guards being on their way, we probably don't want to stick around here."

"Yeah," Morgan agreed. "Let's keep following Hel. You don't want to miss out on all the excitement, do you?"

"E-excitement?" Severa sputtered.

But the young tactician did not linger to hear the rest of her sister's protests. Leaving Severa to stew in her own exasperation, Morgan began chasing after her new friend, with Ellie emerging from her hood and bobbing in the air behind her as she went.

* * *

When Morgan saw Helios rounding the corner in front of her and turning towards the lighthouse, she quickened her own pace, pushing herself to sprint after him as fast as she could manage. At first, she was tempted to call out to him, but thought better of it, deciding that drawing too much attention to herself could be dangerous.

Then, when she rounded the same corner, she did cry out, or at least she tried to; someone had seized her as soon as she turned, lifting her cleanly off her feet and wrapping an arm firmly around her mouth to silence her.

"Quiet," Helios hissed, and when Morgan realized who it was, she stopped struggling, and Helios set her down gently. "Is this your idea of making yourself scarce?" he asked wryly.

"Sorry," Morgan apologized hastily. "I just wanted…"

"To see what was going on," Helios guessed, and a faint smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head in exasperation. "Years ago, back when I was little, I'd see all those other kids with younger siblings. I often wondered what it would be like to have a kid sister. Now I know."

Morgan managed an abashed smile, but before she could say anything, Severa and Owain caught up, nearly running her over. Severa paused to catch her breath, then glowered angrily at Morgan.

"If you're going to follow me, stay clear of the fighting," Helios interceded quickly. "Onlookers are common when fights break out within the city, but few outside of the Sun Guard know their way around a weapon. Most who do are Nihilists. Also, whatever you do, Morgan, do _not_ set anyone on fire again. Magic has been outlawed throughout Monolith for as long as anyone can remember."

"Okay. Sure," Morgan agreed easily.

"We'll keep an eye on her," Severa promised, clamping one hand tightly upon Morgan's shoulder.

With a satisfied nod, Helios turned back towards the lighthouse. Several figures darted back and forth at the foot of the tower, locked in battle, but before Helios could take another step towards them, there came a loud, shattering noise akin to glass being broken. The sound came from far above, and Morgan, Severa, Owain, and Helios all instinctively looked up towards the top of the Sun Spire.

At first, it seemed as if the light of the Sun Spire had scattered. Tiny glowing fragments shot outward from the top of the tower, forming a beautiful shower of light and causing flickering shadows all across the formerly illuminated city of Aquila's Ascent.

Then the light faded altogether, and the city went dark.

"What was that?" Severa demanded, as Owain swallowed nervously. None of them could see each other anymore, though they could hear Morgan rustling through her pouch in search of something.

"I don't believe it," came Helios's hushed voice. "They actually did it."

"Who did what?" Morgan asked, though the rustling noise continued.

Helios began to laugh, the haunting, strained laughter of a man who was terribly, terribly afraid. "That was the death of Aquila's Ascent. Our Sun Spire has been destroyed."

For a moment, his shocking proclamation went unanswered. Then, screams of terror began ringing out from all across the city, a deafening cacophony that seemed to confirm the Sun Guard's words, a death knell heralding the end of every man, woman, and child within Aquila's Ascent.

Morgan finally found what she had been searching for, and donned her lantern ring, illuminating her companions and the surrounding region. Helios hardly noticed the ring. His face seemed devoid of any emotion, and his unnerving calm had rubbed off on Severa and Owain, too, who were both standing frozen.

"You two better put on your rings, too," Morgan suggested, before turning back to Helios. "What's happening, Hel? How could the Sun Spire have been destroyed?"

"I don't know," Helios admitted quietly. "This has never happened before. The Nihilists have been trying for decades, but they've never managed to breach one of the Sun Spires before now. Without the light of the Sun Spire weakening the Nightmares, we're defenseless; few in the city will survive until daybreak."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Morgan offered in a small voice.

"We killed a few of those Nightmares things on our way here," Severa said. "If we can round up the rest of your Sun Guard, we might be able to protect the city until dawn."

"Or vacate the city and seek refuge with your staunch neighbors," Owain suggested.

Helios's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You've battled the Nightmares before?" he asked sharply.

"Only three of them," Morgan admitted.

"Only three," Helios muttered. Then, after a few moments, he shook his head. "It's too late. Staying here is pointless. Just listen to all the screaming; you're not going to get anything organized in time, and the city's walls have likely already been breached. The Sun Guard may have been able to stem the chaos and hold off the Nightmares for a time, but I bet most of them are already trying to flee the city on their own or with their families."

"You don't seem to think very highly of your comrades," Severa remarked.

Helios grimaced. "I don't," he admitted. "And I might be wrong. Look, I'm going to head for the walls. If the rest of the Sun Guard is still there making their stand, I'll stay and fight beside them, though Light knows if we truly stand a chance. But if I'm right, and they're already gone, I'm going to make a break for Sol Hearth."

"What about us?" Owain asked.

"You three should get on out here," Helios suggested. "Use whatever magic brought you here to our world and head back to your own. Or another world. Anywhere that's not here, really."

Morgan wavered indecisively. The screams of Aquila's people gnawed at her, a haunting reminder of all the villages and caravans she had tried and failed to save. She wanted desperately to believe that there was still something she could do, to help the rest of Monolith, perhaps, even if it was already too late to save Aquila's Ascent and its people.

Instead, Morgan snuck a glance at Severa and Owain. She wanted to argue with Helios, to stay, heedless of his warnings, but she knew, too, that their situation had drastically worsened, and she didn't feel comfortable dragging her two companions further into a mess that they had little understanding of.

Then Severa spoke up. "We're not leaving," she said quietly, to her younger sister's great surprise.

"Indeed," Owain agreed. "Owain Dark cannot ignore the misery welling up within this world."

"And you, Morgan?" Helios prompted, though he already knew what the younger girl's answer would be.

"I'm not going anywhere. You promised to show me Sol Hearth, remember?" Morgan reminded Helios petulantly. Or at least, she tried to sound petulant.

Helios managed a shaky grin. "I figured as much. You three seem to be a meddlesome bunch," he said. "Alright, then. If you're sure you can handle yourselves against the Nightmares, stick with me. If the Sun Guard's already given up, the four of us can escape to Sol Hearth, at least."

"Lead the way," Morgan said. She tossed her ring to Helios, who caught it easily and slipped it onto his own finger without question. Severa and Owain took out their own rings as well, and the four of them began making their way down the smaller streets of Aquila's Ascent. Following Helios's lead, they did their best to avoid the wider roads, which were crowded with countless indistinguishable figures, only barely illuminated by the light of the torches some carried. The sounds of panic grew louder and louder as they went, and the telltale white and gold robes of the Sun Guard were distinctly absent.

Before long, they came across the walls of the city, and immediately saw that the Sun Guard had deserted their posts there, too. It was a different gate from the one that Helios had been stationed at earlier, but it seemed to have been structured the same way. The weapon rack had already been emptied, and not by the unarmed civilians, who could only flee before the scores of shadowy creatures streaming into the city.

"I warned you," Helios declared grimly. "There's little more we can do. The city is lost."

Though Morgan wanted nothing more than to draw her sword and begin striking down the ghastly invaders, she knew better than to argue; this time, they were truly and impossibly outnumbered. She looked pleadingly to her sister and Owain, and when she saw their similarly grim expressions, she knew that they shared her sentiments.

None of them said a word, and they waited uncomfortably, watching as Helios intently studied the encroaching Nightmares. When the Sun Guard finally noticed a lull in their enemies' approach, he signaled to the other three. Together, they wrapped around the nearest cluster of Nightmares, then swiftly fled from the doomed city.

* * *

Eventually, the ongoing screams from Aquila's Ascent faded into the darkness, drowned out by the whispering winds. Nevertheless, the tortured sounds continued to linger in Morgan's mind, and she could hold her silence no longer. "Hel, who are the Nihilists?" she demanded suddenly, her voice agitated. "How could anyone want to destroy an entire city that way? What could they have hoped to gain?"

"What did they have to lose?" Helios asked in reply.

Morgan stopped in her tracks, staring at Helios in disbelief. Helios, too, came to a halt, sensing the younger girl's distress. "That's what their answer would be," he explained somberly. "A nihilist is…"

"Someone who believes that life is meaningless, and that nothing we do matters or has any purpose," Morgan finished impatiently. "We have philosophy in our world, too, but philosophers don't rally armies and destroy cities. Why would…"

"We should keep moving," Helios interrupted. He turned to face the centermost of the distant lights, which appeared to be closer than the others, and resumed his steady march. "Monolith is not a forgiving place. One can never really feel safe, especially while living in the Reaches. Everyone I've ever known has lost someone… a friend, a family member… many don't have anyone left to lose, even. I've been on my own since I was ten. My father was part of the Sun Guard. He, like many others, fell to the Nightmares. My mother was a tailor. She fell ill a year after my father passed away, while Aquila's Ascent was suffering from a shortage of medicinal herbs. It's easy to lose hope out here, living the way we do."

"So, what? They want to make everyone else suffer, too?" Severa interjected angrily. "The world we come from isn't fair, either. People lose their loved ones all the time. That doesn't mean…"

"I'm not trying to defend them," Helios clarified quickly. "I joined the Sun Guard myself, remember? The Nihilists are our sworn enemies, trying to destroy what we try to protect. See, somehow, these people got it in their heads that Monolith shouldn't exist. They believe that the Solcryst is our way of cheating fate, and that it carries a price. All of our squabbling over residency in Sol Hearth, all the infighting over food and supplies out here in the Reaches… even the constant battles against the Nightmares – they blame all of that on the Solcryst. They live and hide among us, spreading their selfish beliefs to anyone they believe will listen while waiting for a chance to destroy the Solcryst – and Monolith – for good."

"That's insane," Morgan muttered.

"No argument there," Helios agreed. "Life in the Reaches isn't pretty, I'll admit, but that's no reason to give up entirely. To go even further and dash everyone else's hopes, too? If you ask me, the Nihilists are worse than the Nightmares."

"Are there truly so many of your people that have been driven to such sinister madness?" Owain asked, frowning. "We four defeated nine of them alone; how vast was the force that came against your city's heart upon this cursed night?"

Helios glanced over his shoulder, shooting Owain an odd look.

"It looked like you would have thrashed those Nihilists with or without our help," Severa translated. "And you just happened to be there alone. Didn't you say there was an entire patrol stationed at the Sun Spire? How could the Nihilists have possibly forced their way past them?"

"I think you've gotten the wrong idea about the Sun Guard," Helios said with a derisive laugh. "Oh, we're _supposed_ to protect the city and all, and there were probably at least half a dozen men standing watch over the Sun Spire, but the reason I train on my own is that the Sun Guard hardly trains at all. If they're not standing watch or carousing in a tavern and chasing skirts, they're trying to impress their patrol leaders in hopes of catching the attention of Sol Sanctus. It makes sense in a sad sort of way. Getting your patrol leader to like you is how you make your way to Sol Hearth. How well you handle yourself against Nightmares doesn't make much of a difference at all."

"Didn't you mention a couple friends, earlier? Are they part of the Sun Guard, too?" Morgan asked. Then she swallowed uncomfortably, a terrible thought occurring to her. "We didn't leave them behind just now, did we?"

"Nah," Helios said. "Well, yes, they're also part of the Sun Guard, but one was transferred to Sol Hearth about a year back, and the other…" Helios abruptly fell silent, and he shifted slightly, instinctively assuming a defensive stance.

Noticing the subtle movement, Morgan, Severa, and Owain each drew their weapons as well. Despite being on their guard, they instinctively stepped back in unison when a dark shape stepped into the meager light of their rings. The approaching Nightmare resembled a massive, hooded serpent fully fifteen feet in length. A pair of limbs – resembling bony scythes but composed of the same colorless matter – protruded from about a third of the way down the serpent's form, and were upraised, poised to slash down vertically.

Helios, unlike his companions, did not hesitate in the slightest, and immediately flipped Morgan's lantern ring back to her. His swords sprang from their sheaths as he spun past the Nightmare's right side, ducking neatly beneath its claw. He scored a couple glancing hits there, and was already backing away when the Nightmare spun to face him. "Crawler! They're fast; stay clear of their talons!" he called out in warning.

"You don't say," Severa grumbled, before seizing the opportunity to rush forward and thrust her lance into her exposed foe.

Behind her, Owain hesitated. "They?" he mumbled.

That one word caught Severa's attention, but the warning had come too late. Severa took her right hand off her lance and swung it wildly about, illuminating two more of the Nightmares that were eerily close to her side. She tried to tug her lance free and back away, but the first Nightmare was writhing wildly. In the end, she was forced to relinquish her weapon entirely, and scuttled back seconds before the second Nightmare could behead her.

In a flash, Owain was at her side, holding back the other two Nightmares. Then the first of the shadowy creatures shrank and grew dense, and both Severa and Owain remembered to look away. In doing so, Severa finally noticed Morgan's curious reaction.

The younger red-haired girl was simply standing there, Alondite dangling loosely in her slackened grip. She wore a mystified look, as if something most unusual had fully occupied her thoughts.

"Morgan! What are you doing!?" Severa screamed.

With a jolt, Morgan's grip on Alondite's hilt tightened. To Severa's relief, the younger girl's expression became one of extreme concentration. A bolt of energy whizzed past Severa, and Alondite's magic cut cleanly into the nearest of the Nightmares.

Severa backed further away, not wanting to be caught between Morgan and the Nightmare without a weapon of her own. She lifted her hand high, scanning the ground for any sign of her fallen lance. The light glinted off a mangled mess of white, gold, and crimson.

"Helios!" Severa cried out in horror, immediately recognizing the robes of a Sun Guard.

"That's not me!" Helios's voice rang out from somewhere in the darkness.

Severa cast her light in that direction, and indeed, the robed swordsman was alive and well, or as well as anyone could be while caught between another two of the serpent-like Nightmares and a third Nightmare that resembled a giant blob with far too many legs. Several small objects beside Helios glowed faintly.

Severa lowered her light a bit, illuminating three more bloodstained corpses clad in the same white and gold robes. Helios must have already noticed his fallen comrades, she realized. The faint glow was coming from a pair of glaives lying beside the bodies, and the third prone form wore a burnished quiver while clutching an asymmetrical wooden bow.

"Cover me," Severa pleaded with Owain, before racing for the fallen weapons.

Owain immediately understood and moved to protect her. Another Nightmare detached itself from the shadows on Severa's other side, but a quick blast of fire from Morgan put an end to it, while illuminating the surrounding area. Severa tucked herself into a tight ball and rolled neatly past the last Nightmare in her way, grabbing one of the glaives as she recovered. She twirled her new glaive around, admiring its perfect balance and polished shaft as she impaled the serpent behind her.

Another fireball exploded nearby, this one casting light upon Helios, who was now pressed by four of the Nightmares. The robed swordsman seemed to be losing ground constantly, and he could not land a definitive blow against any of his attackers. The blob-like Nightmare threw itself forward in a clumsy tackle, and while it was nowhere close to hitting its agile target, it was an undeniable distraction, and Helios very nearly missed parrying one of the serpents' claws.

Strapping the glaive to her back and trusting in her sister and husband to hold off the Nightmares behind her, Severa retrieved the fallen bow she had spotted earlier, as well as a handful of arrows from the dead archer's quiver. Angling her shots so that they would not hit Helios if they pierced through, she set the bowstring humming, quickly putting four feathered arrows into the blob-like Nightmare. Two more clean shots finished off one of the serpents, buying Helios enough space to dispose of the second. The last of the Nightmares, one of the hulking humanoids that Severa remembered from before, turned and bore down upon her.

Helios leapt atop the final Nightmare's back, and his blades burst through where the Nightmare's collar bone would have been. Both of the gleaming silver swords then cut upward in a neat V, severing the Nightmare's head from its body.

"Thanks," Helios said, sheathing one of his blades as he stooped to inspect one of the bodies. Though he had been moving constantly and frantically all throughout the battle, he seemed only barely winded.

"No problem," Severa said, as Owain and Morgan reached her side. Owain was looking around nervously, as if expecting more of the Nightmares to emerge behind him at any moment, while Morgan seemed strangely intent on the mysterious black powder that the defeated Nightmares had left behind.

"These men came from Aquila's Ascent," Helios announced grimly a moment later. "I recognize this one." He kicked one of the bodies lightly, the bloody remains of a short, rotund man with thinning brown hair. "This is the patrol that was standing guard over the eastern gate, where we departed from. They must have grabbed their weapons and taken off the moment they realized the Sun Spire was lost."

"You mean they didn't even try to do their job?" Severa scowled.

"Neither did I," Helios admitted shamelessly. "And it wouldn't have mattered. This fool's never slain a single Nightmare, as far as I know. I've fought beside him before… or rather, I fought while he cowered behind me and watched. His glaive and robes were wasted on him, if you ask me."

Severa looked down at her newly acquired glaive. "Do you think I should keep this?" she asked, wondering if trying to enter Sol Hearth with the pilfered weapons would cause them any trouble.

"Probably," Helios said. "We'll have to come up with some kind of story for the border guards in Sol Hearth, and these weapons can only help. They'll probably confiscate them afterwards, though. We try not to let the weapons coming out of Sol Sanctus fall into the Nihilists' hands."

Severa frowned, wondering how the pilfered weapons would get them into Sol Hearth, but before she could voice her question, Owain spoke up.

"Sol Sanctus? Is that not the resting place of the fabled Solcryst?" the blond swordsman asked, puzzled.

"Yep. It's also the main headquarters for the Sun Guard, and the location of the Sun Forge. I've never seen it running, but it's supposed to be a great furnace powered by the Solcryst itself," Helios explained. "All of the Sun Guards' weapons are forged there. Even our bows are inlaid with a trace of silver and exposed to the Sun Forge's light. It's supposed to make our weapons more effective against the Nightmares. Every couple of years, the enchantment wears off, and we exchange our weapons so they might be brought back to the Sun Forge."

Severa took a closer look at her bow, and saw that there was indeed a sliver of pristine light ingrained in the wood. "Interesting," she mused, before Morgan tugged the bow from her hand. "Hey!"

"You don't want it confiscated, do you?" Morgan asked. She grabbed the fallen glaive nearby, and a second one from near the first body Severa had spotted, then stashed all three weapons in her pouch. "All of these arrows are bent out of shape, anyways. I'll give the bow back to you along with another glaive after we get to Sol Hearth. Owain, you should let me hide your sword when we get there, too, just in case."

"Alright," Owain agreed readily.

"Keep your sword ready for now," Helios advised. "We're still a couple hours out from Sol Hearth." Then, as if to accentuate his point, he resumed his eastward march.

Owain quickly followed, but before Morgan could do the same, her older sister tugged her aside. "What were you doing earlier, standing still like that?" Severa hissed.

Morgan blushed. "I got distracted," she admitted. "Ouch!" she added, before turning and glaring into the hood dangling from the back of her robe.

"Ellie isn't happy about you spacing out either," Severa guessed.

"No, she isn't," Morgan said. "Or about me ignoring her. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"It had better not," Severa said grumpily. "Why is every place I've ever known full of monsters, anyways? Risen, eidolons, Faceless, and now these Nightmare things."

"Wraiths," Morgan mumbled.

"What was that?" Severa asked.

"Never mind," Morgan said quickly, suddenly realizing that Helios and Owain were already quite far ahead of them. "Come on. We don't want to get left behind."


	8. Chapter 6: Sol Hearth

**~ Chapter 6 ~**

 **Sol Hearth**

"Remember, don't say anything unless you have to. When you do, try to follow my lead," Helios whispered.

Morgan, Severa, and Owain nodded their assent. Satisfied, Helios approached the nearby city gates, stepping out into the light.

The walls of Sol Hearth were quite different from those of Aquila's Ascent. The most obvious difference was in their size; the walls of Sol Hearth were less than half the height of the formidable enclosure around Aquila's Ascent, and had been built from smaller bricks with less distinct seams. The gates offered a meager glimpse of the city's paved roads, a wide path of finely cut, smooth bricks that had been painstakingly laid in a perfectly even manner.

A full dozen of the Sun Guard had been posted at the gate. Fully half of them were wearing heavy armor. The robes and armor worn by the guards in Sol Hearth seemed more elaborate than the ones worn by the guards in Aquila's Ascent. Their reactions, too, were different; most of them looked relieved to see one of their fellow Sun Guard approaching, the rest were instantly wary for trouble.

"You should know better than to be out after dark," one of the guards hailed them. He seemed older than the others of his patrol, and his armor was more decorated, too. "You from Aquila, lad?"

"Yes, sir," Helios replied politely. "Helios, Sun Guard, Fourth Class, reporting to Captain Minos in Aquila's Ascent."

The guard nodded approvingly. "Bayn, Second Class," he said, returning the formal greeting. "I'm glad to see you safe, lad. What has happened to Aquila's Sun Spire? Its light disappeared hours ago."

"I was hoping you could tell me, actually. I was out of the city, escorting a caravan here to Sol Hearth," Helios lied. "One of our wagons busted a wheel, and we spent the better part of the day trying to fix it. Ended up giving up and turning back for Sol Hearth, but our timing was a bit off. Night fell when we were still half a mile out from the walls. We had to fight off a bunch of Nightmares just to reach the city, and just as we got there, the Sun Spire just… went out."

"So you set out for Sol Hearth immediately, with some of the merchants in tow? Without the rest of your patrol?" Bayn asked, sounding suspicious.

Helios remained unconcerned. "We were only half staffed to begin with, and without our patrol leader," he explained. "We tried to approach the city, but found the walls overrun by the Nightmares. There was no sign of the border guard. The rest of my patrol insisted on fighting their way back into the city, but I felt it would be more prudent, particularly for the merchants accompanying us, to make for Sol Hearth instead. Our home offers us little protection with the Sun Spire darkened, after all."

"You thought it would be safer to brave the wilderness alone at night?" Bayn asked incredulously.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Helios replied, grinning.

"What happened to the rest of the merchants, then?" Bayn asked, after a moment's pause.

Helios's smile faltered. "Most of them doubted my judgment, too," he admitted. "These three agreed to follow me, but the rest decided to follow my comrades back into the city. I'm not sure what happened to them after that."

Bayn glanced at Morgan, Severa, and Owain, noting their exotic dress. "Tailors?" he guessed.

"We were delivering outfits for the upcoming Harvest Festival," Helios confirmed with a nod, before any of the three could respond. "We had to abandon most of their goods."

"And the glaive?" Bayn asked, eyeing Severa's weapon. Per Helios's instruction, Severa held her glaive awkwardly, as if she had never used such a weapon before.

"We found some of the Sun Guard on our way here," Severa explained, inducing a slight quiver into her voice.

"They had already fallen to the Nightmares," Helios added grimly. "There were four of them. I recognized one. If I'm not mistaken, they were charged with watching the eastern gate tonight. They had managed to pass us in the darkness, so they must have fled as soon as the Sun Spire went dark."

As Helios had anticipated, Bayn held out one hand, beckoning towards Severa, who obediently turned over her weapon. "It seems like you were caught in a rather difficult situation… Helios, was it?"

"Yes," Helios confirmed.

"Well done," Bayn said, smiling warmly. "Few could have made the journey here after dark, and fewer still while escorting three civilians. We had hoped to learn more of Aquila's fate, but it seems we'll have to wait and see whether anyone else survived last night's tragedy. Come on inside, and I'll draw up visitor papers for you all."

Bayn retreated within the city's walls, beckoning for the visitors to follow. There was a large oaken table waiting there, covered in rolls of parchment.

"Say, lad, would you be interested in a transfer?" Bayn asked thoughtfully.

"A transfer?" Helios echoed, surprised.

"Not here to Sol Hearth," Bayn clarified quickly. "I'll put in a good word for you, so there may be a promotion waiting for you somewhere down the line, but these things can take a while, especially with what has happened to Aquila. In the meantime, there's a caravan returning to Leo's Rest in two days, and another headed for Phoenix's Perch in four. I can arrange a transfer for you now, if you'd like, and get you the appropriate visiting papers for the wait. There's a good chance all of the surviving Sun Guard from Aquila will get shuffled around anyways, so if you transfer now, it'll be cleaner, plus you'll have some choice in the matter."

Helios mulled the offer over for a moment. "Could you put me down for a full seven, instead?" he asked. "When I volunteered for the escort job, I was hoping to catch up with an old friend of mine here in Sol Hearth. His name's Tohl. He and I used to be part of the same patrol, until…"

"Until he was promoted?" Bayn guessed.

Helios nodded.

"Alright. Seven days it is, after which you'll report to Headquarters for possible reassignment," Bayn said. "Good luck, Helios." He scribbled down a few notes on one of the pieces of parchment, then tore it in two, offering half of it to Helios.

"Thank you, sir," Helios said, accepting the paper before stepping aside.

"As for you three," Bayn continued, turning to Morgan, Severa, and Owain. "Given the situation, I can offer you an extended stay here as we sort out what's become of your home. You're good to remain here in Sol Hearth for fourteen days, after which you'll have to return here, or to any other gate. We should have a better idea of what's happening then. Names?"

"Cordelia," Morgan replied, speaking so smoothly that her sister almost missed the blatant lie.

"Cordelia," Bayn mumbled, scrawling the name down on another parchment. Thankfully, he did not notice the odd looks Helios, Severa, and Owain were shooting Morgan. "Next."

"Selena," Severa replied, giving Owain a meaningful look.

"Odin," Owain added, when Bayn turned to him next.

"Enjoy your stay," Bayn said, handing the documents over before ushering them on their way.

* * *

"What's this for, Hel?" Morgan asked curiously, inspecting the paper Bayn had given her once they were out of earshot of the guards.

"Visitor papers. You're supposed to carry them on you at all times," Helios explained. "Visitors to Sol Hearth are only normally allowed to stay for seven days, but that man we just met, Captain Bayn, has the authority to offer a longer stay if he believes it necessary."

"Do you know him?" Severa asked.

Helios shook his head quickly. "He was Second Class, though. Second Class is reserved for the members of the Sun Guard who serve inside Sol Sanctus itself, or for the patrol leaders in and around Sol Hearth," he explained.

"Is there a First Class?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, but there's only ever a few with that designation," Helios replied. "First Class refers to the patrol leaders within Sol Sanctus, so, naturally, there aren't a whole lot of them. By the way, what's the deal with your names?"

"It's a habit of mine," Morgan said, shrugging. "I travel quite a bit and don't want any trouble following me, so I use a bunch of different names. Morgan's my real name, though."

"Is it, now?" Helios asked teasingly.

"You don't believe me?" Morgan asked, feigning a wounded look.

Helios chuckled. "Does it really matter?" he pointed out. "Anyhow, you're pretty much free to explore the city now, apart from Sol Sanctus itself. If you're open to suggests, I think you three ought to start with a tailor's shop. Get something that'll help you blend in a little better, you know?"

"Good idea," Morgan acknowledged. "Where would we find a tailor, though?"

"At this hour of the morning? Probably still snoozing in their beds," Helios shrugged. "I'm going to drop by the inn I normally stay at and rent myself a room for the week. It's a bit of a seedy place, but if you don't mind that, you can stick with me a bit longer and I'll show you to the market district later, once the city wakes up."

"Seedy?" Severa scowled.

"Even Sol Hearth has its blemishes," Helios said. "Some wish to peddle wares that others look down upon. Some seek to fritter away their earnings on games of chance. Then there's a few that just want to buy as much drink as they can. The inns on the outskirts of the city cater to everything that's too uncivilized for the more cultured of Sol Hearth's citizens."

"Sounds lively," Morgan declared happily, before Severa could object. "Lead the way, Hel."

* * *

The inn Helios led them to appeared entirely unimpressive. A worn wooden board dangled from rusted chains just over the doorway, but the shallow scratches upon it had been thoroughly eroded by the wind, leaving the inn's name completely illegible.

"No one's certain whether this place has ever had a name. For all we know, one of the owners over the years just slapped a wooden board here and called it a day," Helios remarked, when he saw his companions eyeing the weathered sign. "If this inn did have a name, it's long forgotten now."

"This place is unnamed?" Owain asked, seeming horrified. "That simply cannot do! A wanderer's respite and scoundrel's haven such as this must have a title befitting of its unique atmosphere."

"A name implies someone would want to speak of a place such as this," Helios laughed. He swung open the uneven door, which creaked loudly in protest, then ushered his companions inside.

The door closed noisily behind them, and Helios moved immediately towards the counter, where an old, wrinkled man with a disheveled beard awaited. The inn's owner seemed neither surprised by nor interested in his guests. The building was surprisingly large, and already, nearly two dozen patrons were scattered throughout the common room. Most were silently nursing their drinks, but a few stared calculatingly at the inn's latest guests.

"I guess we might as well sit down," Morgan whispered to Severa and Owain, before carefully navigating her way past the disorderly chairs and tables to the room's quietest corner. "Hmm… it looks like Helios is paying the innkeeper with ordinary silver coins," she observed.

Severa glanced over at the inn's counter, and saw that Morgan was right. "I guess. So what?" she asked, not understanding the significance of it.

"So the money I brought with me is probably good here in Sol Hearth," Morgan reasoned. "That's nice. It saves me having to figure out where we'd find coin to pay for new clothes."

Helios joined them a few minutes later, carrying a tray laden with heavy clay mugs. "On me," he said. Then, noticing Severa's hesitant glance towards Morgan, he added, "It's just tea. Trust me, you don't want to get anything stronger from a place like this."

Morgan took a sip from her mug, then made a face. "It's kind of bitter," she commented.

"That's how tea's supposed to taste," Severa replied, rolling her eyes as she passed one mug to Owain, then took another for herself.

"Not if you drown it in honey," Morgan said, looking wistfully towards the counter.

"Honey?" Helios asked.

"You know, from bees?" Morgan said.

Helios only stared at her blankly.

Morgan sighed. "You probably don't have any bees – or honey – here in Monolith," she guessed. "Oh well."

She fell silent a moment later as another of the inn's patrons – an attractive, fair-haired woman a few years older than Morgan – joined them uninvited. The unknown woman wore a colorful, flattering outfit that left much of her curvaceous form and powdered skin exposed. "You look like you've had a long night," she said to Helios in a simpering tone.

"Longer than you can imagine," Helios replied, sounding bored. "Can I help you with something?"

The woman smiled. "I was about to ask you the same thing," she purred. "Surely, a brave Sun Guard such as yourself would enjoy a long morning's rest… somewhere soft and warm, like the rooms upstairs, perhaps?"

"Not interested," Helios said flatly.

"Oh, don't be that way," the courtesan pouted. "It's cold and lonely this time of the year, you know."

"Every damn time," Helios cursed under his breath. He shook his head in frustration. "Not interested."

"Are you sure?" the courtesan asked teasingly, reaching out to stroke Helios's face.

Helios simply leaned back in his chair, eliciting a scowl from the courtesan. Before the spurned woman could protest, however, someone else joined them at the table: a slender, dark-haired woman dressed in the robes of the Sun Guard. In her own rather subtle fashion, she looked every bit as attractive as the blonde. Her waist-length, lustrous hair was neatly combed and draped over her shoulders, and her dark amber eyes – which had the same exotic almond shape as Helios's – carried a lively, playful spark, contrasting nicely with the gold patterns decorating her pure, white robes.

"Hel!" the newcomer exclaimed happily.

"Cress?" Helios gasped in surprise. Anything else he had to say was muffled as the dark-haired woman quickly kissed him and pulled him into a tight embrace.

When the female Sun Guard finally pulled away, she seemed to notice the shocked courtesan sitting beside her. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized breathlessly. "Were you in the middle of something?"

Helios shook his head quickly, then shot the courtesan a meaningful look. The fuming blonde rose from her chair, any trace of her warm and playful manner evaporating instantly. She stomped away angrily, muttering incomprehensible curses as she went.

"Thanks," Helios mumbled to his fellow Sun Guard.

The dark-haired woman promptly pulled Helios into another hug, but she no longer seemed as giddy and carefree as before, and her expression shone instead with relief. "I saw Aquila's light go out," she whispered, sounding terrified. "I knew if anyone could make it out of there alive, it would be you, but still, I wasn't… the others always sound so… I just couldn't be sure…"

"I'm fine," Helios said reassuring, patting the woman gently on the shoulder. "Made it here without so much as a scratch."

The dark-haired woman sighed, then composed herself wearily. "Don't scare me like that again," she begged.

"Sure thing. Next time I'm stuck making my way to Sol Hearth after dark, you'll be the first to know," Helios promised jokingly.

The other Sun Guard blushed, then changed the subject. "What's going on, Hel? What happened to Aquila? Who are these people?" She nodded slightly towards Morgan, Severa, and Owain.

"New friends of mine," Helios said evasively. "The Nihilists got to the Sun Spire, somehow. I thought I'd take my chances with the road, and ended up bringing these three with me."

"Hel, is this the friend you mentioned to the border guard earlier?" Severa guessed.

"Huh? Oh, you mean Tohl? Nah. This is my other friend, Crescent," Helios said.

"Friend, huh? That certainly was a friendly greeting," Severa said slyly.

Helios's face went bright red, but Crescent only laughed. "Hel's managed to perfect his rugged drifted look," she explained teasingly. "It makes him very popular with the ladies, particularly the expensive ones. They can be rather persistent." She turned back to Hel, and her expression became one of concern. "What's going to happen to Aquila now? And to you?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure," Helios admitted. "The border guard is still waiting to learn more about what happened in Aquila. I told them I didn't know anything to avoid a trip to Headquarters… it's mostly true, honestly. The patrol leader there guessed that I'd be transferred later, along with the other survivors."

"Here to Sol Hearth?" Crescent asked hopefully.

"Nah," Helios said, shaking his head. "He said he'd put in a good word for me, though. At least it's a step in the right direction."

"I see," Crescent said, sounding disappointed.

"I'll stick around for a few days, though," Helios went on. "I promised to take my friends to the market district later; they lost all of their normal clothing during our escape. Want to come with us?"

Crescent seemed rather tempted, but after a moment's thought, she shook her head. "You should rest, Hel. I can show your friends to the market district," she offered. "I'll catch up to you later tonight. There's a new eatery near the eastern residential district that I've been meaning to visit. We can check it out together."

"Sorry, I promised I'd show my friends around myself," Helios apologized. "It shouldn't take long."

"If you say so," Crescent said, sounding unsure.

Helios turned and peeked through the dusty window nearby. "Looks like the Solcryst is lighting up. We may as well head out as soon as you three finish your drinks," he said.

"I'm finished," Morgan said quickly, with a sour glance towards her mug, which was still mostly full.

"Let's go," Severa agreed, pushing her own empty mug to the center of the table to rest beside Owain's.

"Alright. I'll see you later, Cress," Helios promised.

* * *

"Hey, Hel, how did you meet Crescent?" Morgan asked curiously, a short while after they left the tavern. "She's Third Class, right? Her robes looked a bit fancier than yours."

"You're beginning to figure it all out, I see," Helios said, grinning. "Yeah, she's Third Class."

"Did she get promoted and transferred away, too? Like the other friend you mentioned?" Severa guessed.

"Nah. She's one of the lucky ones. She was born right here in Sol Hearth, and those already living here get to start a bit higher up on the ladder when they enlist," Helios said. "I met her after one of my escort assignments. The rest of my patrol insisted on visiting this one tavern near Headquarters and dragged me along with them. That's when I ran into Cress. She wasn't having a particularly good time, either; she was new to the Sun Guard, and since women don't usually enlist, most of the others were either teasing her or flirting with her."

"That's pretty rude," Morgan commented distastefully. "She _is_ quite pretty, though," she added a moment after.

"She is, isn't she?" Helios agreed absently. "She's smart, too. Hell, she's twice the thinker Tohl is, and twice the friend, too, for that matter."

"You seem to hold a rather dour opinion of your other friend," Owain noted.

"Don't get me wrong," Helios said, shaking his head. "Tohl and I go way back. I met him back when I first enlisted in the Sun Guard, and he and I were assigned to the same patrol. When he eventually got promoted and left, he made me promise to catch up to him here one day. Still… Tohl's the type to live by the rules, day in, day out. He held about as much appreciation as I did for our comrades who'd muck around all day, but he wasn't necessarily always sensible himself. Or maybe Cress and I are the senseless ones. I mean, abandoning her post just to try and see if I made it here safely? It's something I would've done, too, but not Tohl. Maybe that's why he made it here to Sol Hearth while I'm still stuck in Fourth Class."

"Is it really that hard to move here?" Severa asked, looking around at the various nearby stores and their bustling crowds of customers. It resembled many other populated cities Severa had been to, and seemed generally underwhelming.

"Enlisting in the Sun Guard makes it a bit easier. Dozens are promoted and transferred here every year to replace those who fall, retire, or choose to transfer away," Helios said. "Once in a while, Sol Hearth holds a lottery for the extra residences. A handful of civilians get to move here that way each year."

"That's it?" Morgan frowned. "What if someone in your family moves here? Can you move with them?"

"Nope," Helios said. "Well, they do make an exception for married couples. If someone living out in the Reaches ends up marrying someone who lives here in Sol Hearth, they're allowed to move here. That's not too common, though, since visits are limited to seven days out of each month. That's hardly enough time to get to know someone, let alone fall in love."

"I see," Morgan said, her frown deepening. "So is that why you enlisted in the Sun Guard? To try to move here to Sol Hearth?"

"Not really," Helios said. "Actually, the real reason seems a bit silly in hindsight. I first enlisted because of my father. One evening, back when I was little, he came home with his arm all torn up. I didn't understand why he would risk getting hurt so badly. When I asked, he told me that the Sun Guard was there to make all our lives better, and that he wanted to be a part of it, whatever the cost. That was the last time we ever talked. The Nightmares came back that night. My father went to join the fighting with his sword arm still in a sling, and never came back."

"He went even though he couldn't fight?" Severa asked incredulously.

"Didn't have a choice. Or at least, he didn't think he had one," Helios shrugged. "The city would have held with or without his help, but he couldn't have known that. You can never really know when a fight will break out, or what sort of shape you'll be in. That's why, when I took up the sword myself, I learned to fight with either hand."

"And then you learned to fight with both hands at the same time," Morgan remarked. She turned to Severa, a triumphant smile upon her face. "See? You have to be prepared for just about anything! It's just like my blindfolded training technique!"

"No, it isn't," Severa said sternly.

"Blindfolded training technique?" Helios echoed questioningly.

"You don't want to know," Severa said with a sigh. "So, when did you decide you wanted to move to Sol Hearth?" she asked.

"Not long after I met Crescent," Helios admitted. "I knew it was safer here in Sol Hearth; the walls are more heavily defended, and there's rarely shortages of anything here. That never mattered much to me, though. Then I met Cress. It's nice having someone to talk to, or read with, or wander through the city beside. We've even snuck out of the city in the middle of the night a few times."

"Why would you do that?" Morgan frowned.

"To hunt down Nightmares, of course," Helios grinned. "I know. It's stupid, reckless, and ultimately useless since the Nightmares always come back. It's very therapeutic, though, chasing them through the darkness for a change instead of waiting for them to come to us, and Cress handles a bow better than anyone else I've ever seen."

"Then pay more attention when I'm shooting next time," Severa said in a miffed tone.

Helios chuckled. "Oh, I was watching," he said. "You were very good. Better than most of the Sun Guard… but not Cress. There's an annual archery competition here in Sol Hearth… five minutes, twenty targets strewn throughout an obstacle course. A few months ago, the winner set a new record, hitting seventeen of the twenty targets. Cress refused to participate, but I persuaded her to break into the course at night with me and try it out, just for fun. I managed to hit thirteen, which was already better than I expected."

"What about Crescent?" Owain asked.

"She broke the record on her first try, hitting eighteen," Helios grinned. "Then, when I joked about it being beginner's luck, she ran the course again. That time, she hit all twenty without even breaking her stride. Finished with nearly a minute to spare."

Morgan blew a soft whistle. "Nice," she said. Then, noticing Severa's mood, she hastily changed the subject. "Say, what's it like inside Sol Sanctus?" she asked. "You said it's the main headquarters for the Sun Guard, right? You've been inside, haven't you?"

"I've been inside a few times, but I haven't seen much of it," Helios said. "I've never climbed up past the first floor. That's our base of operations here in Sol Hearth. It's open to all of the Sun Guard, but there isn't much there beside meeting rooms. The High Council gathers there, too."

"High Council?" Owain interrupted.

"The seven civilian leaders of Monolith," Helios explained. "They handle pretty much everything that doesn't relate to the Sun Guard or to defending the city."

"What else is there inside the tower?" Morgan asked, sounding put off by the talk of politics.

"The second floor is made of living quarters for the members of the Sun Guard stationed within Sol Sanctus," Helios continued. "The basement floor is where the Sun Forge is kept. I've been down there once or twice, but I've never seen the Sun Forge while it's running; traditionally, it only burns by day, but I've only ever visited Sol Sanctus at night. According to the stories, that's about all there is to see. The rest of the floors are supposed to be empty, save for the occasional Sun Guard patrol… oh, and the Solcryst and the Sun Warden at the tower's summit, of course."

"Sun Warden?" Morgan asked curiously. "Who's that?"

"It's some sort of guardian spirit bound to the Solcryst," Helios explained, though he seemed uncertain. "They say it doesn't eat or sleep, or do much of anything, really. It just stands – or floats – beside the Solcryst, watching over it all day long. Some believe the Sun Warden is part of the Solcryst itself."

"Well, that's convenient," Morgan said thoughtfully.

"Is that the store we're looking for?" Severa interrupted, indicating a nearby building. She peered through the store's large glass window at the colorful garments that had been carefully posed upon elaborate wooden racks. "Those look quite nice," she added approvingly.

"This store should do," Helios said. "Think you can handle yourselves from here on out?"

"Yeah. Thanks for everything, Hel," Morgan said gratefully.

"No problem. It was nice meeting you all," Helios replied. "I don't know if we'll see each other again, but if you ever decide to head back this way again for whatever reason, maybe we can talk some more."

"We'll meet again," Morgan promised, though privately, she could only wonder how and why their paths would cross again.

Helios seemed to share her doubts, but he said nothing. Instead, he only shrugged and smiled, and with one final wave, he turned and started away, heading back towards the nameless inn.

* * *

Shopping with her older sister proved to be a greater ordeal than Morgan had bargained for. While the young tactician quickly chose a simple, cream colored outfit with a dark, patterned cloak that somewhat resembled her own, Severa had taken great pleasure in poring over a wide variety of tastefully patterned traveling robes, before finally selecting new outfits for both herself and Owain. Nearly two hours passed before the trio finally emerged from the clothing shop, dressed in their new, painstakingly chosen outfits.

Once outside, Severa seemed to put their new acquisitions out of mind. "So, what now?" she asked Morgan.

"Back to Water's Edge to get some rest ourselves?" Owain suggested.

"We could," Morgan readily agreed.

"What else is there to see here, anyways?" Severa asked. "We've seen the market now, and we walked through one of the residential districts to get here. We've seen more than enough of the other cities, too, the Reaches or whatever they're called, and Helios said we wouldn't be allowed into that Sol Sanctus place. Where do we go next?"

"Where we aren't allowed to go, of course," Morgan answered impishly. As if to accentuate her point, she gestured towards an impressive tower looming over them from what looked like a quarter of a mile away, crowned by a large, pure light that seemed as bright as the sun.

"Of course," Severa repeated dryly.


	9. Chapter 7: Luminescent Secrets

**~ Chapter 7 ~**

 **Luminescent Secrets**

Morgan watched intently as the Solcryst's light began to wane, gradually receding until it only barely stretched beyond Sol Hearth's walls. She continued staring for a few minutes longer, silently counting the seconds that passed, then looked instead at the mossy stone road that wrapped around the base of Sol Sanctus.

Right on cue, one of the Sun Guard came marching past – an armored man with a portly, kindly face and a glaive held loosely in his right hand. Morgan quickly retreated further into her hiding spot behind a decoratively trimmed hedge. "Perfect," she whispered.

Sitting beside the young tactician, Severa blew out an impatient sigh. "Remind me, Morgan. Why are we doing this again?" she complained, though she was sensible enough kept her voice down.

"Do you not hear the allure of forbidden knowledge beckoning to you?" Owain – who was crouched by Severa's other side – asked.

"No, I don't," Severa said flatly. "Weren't you listening to Helios? This tower is basically empty. We can see the Solcryst fine from here, so why bother trying to get inside?"

Morgan hesitated, trying to decide how best to explain her doubts. "Sis, Hel's story doesn't really add up," she finally said.

"Huh? You mean you think he was lying to us?" Severa frowned. "About what? And why?"

"I didn't say that," Morgan hastily interrupted, before her sister could get carried away. "Honestly, I don't think he's even realized it himself. Do you remember him warning us that magic was outlawed here in Monolith?"

"Sure… but what does that have to do with anything?" Severa asked, puzzled.

"What else could the Solcryst be but some sort of magic?" Morgan pointed out.

"The Solcryst is critical to their livelihoods. It is only natural that they would make an exception for it," Owain reasoned.

"Sure. That's fair," Morgan agreed readily. "But that's exactly my point. Between the Solcryst, the Sun Spires, and the Sun Guard's enchanted weaponry, Monolith's people depend heavily on their magic to keep themselves alive. They must have realized by now how important magic is. They should be trying to study magic – searching for another way to replicate the Solcryst, perhaps, or to make the Sun Spires more powerful. Instead, they've outlawed magic altogether, leaving very little hope of things ever getting better. Why?"

"The tale of Icarus begets fear," Owain said sagely. "This world's inhabitants would sooner protect what they cherish rather than gamble it on a brighter future."

"Possibly," Morgan admitted. "But still, something about it just doesn't seem… right."

"It sounds like the people of Monolith have already accepted their fate," Severa observed. "Do you really think something isn't right about that? Or are just hoping that they're wrong?"

"A bit of both, I think," Morgan readily conceded. "Come on, Sis. You saw what happened back in that other city. This world's a mess, and most of its people are left with very little hope at all. They live in constant danger, watching the people they care for suffer and die, all for what? To hope against all odds that they can move here to Sol Hearth and feel just a little bit safer?"

"It _is_ pretty terrible," Severa agreed. "And maybe they were wrong to give up on searching for a better way. Maybe there is a perfect answer out there somewhere… but maybe there isn't. You don't even really know what we're searching for, do you?"

"No, I don't," Morgan said.

"So there's a very good chance we won't find anything useful at all," Severa concluded. "We could be putting ourselves into danger just to be let down again."

"I know, but we have to try anyways," Morgan said determinedly. "And it won't be _that_ dangerous. We have warp powder, remember? Even if we do get caught, we can always warp back to our room at the inn, and head back to Water's Edge from there."

As she spoke, Morgan began reaching for her pouch of warp powder. She stopped halfway, another thought occurring to her. "You two don't need to come with me," she offered. "Why don't you wait for me in Water's Edge instead?"

"No way. We're coming," Severa insisted.

"For better or for worse, we stand united," Owain agreed.

Morgan shrugged, deciding it best not to argue. "Here, then," she said, doling out two portions of warp powder into smaller bags and handing one to each Severa and Owain. She then reached into her traveling bag, extracting a plain leather case. She unlatched the case and flipped it open, revealing several strange metal implements.

"What are these?" Severa asked, eyeing the case's contents curiously.

"This is a housebreaker's kit," Morgan explained, extracting a small crossbow, a grappling hook tied to a long rope, and an oddly shaped dagger. "It's a set of tools designed for quietly breaking into places you aren't supposed to be."

"And why would you have such a kit?" Severa demanded accusingly.

Morgan loaded the grappling hook into the crossbow and wound it up until it produced an audible click. She grinned. "To break into places I'm not supposed to be, of course. Weren't you listening?" She turned and peeked through the hedge to ensure that her timing was accurate. Sure enough, one of the guards had just passed them by. "Follow me," she muttered.

The young tactician emerged from her hiding spot and quietly stepped across the stone walkway and the grassy fields surrounding it. Once at the wall, she aimed her crossbow up towards the tower's third story window and fired, grappling a wide groove she had taken note of earlier. She jerked the rope sharply downward, securing the grapple in place, and began climbing.

Once at the window, Morgan began fumbling with her dagger.

"Now what?" Severa hissed nervously as she dangled from the rope just below her sister, without a clear view of what was happening above.

"The guards approach!" Owain warned, looking down and about in search of any more guards.

"We have at least a minute before the next guard comes by," Morgan said soothingly. Locating the window's latch, she began scraping her dagger against the glass. "Wealthy Valmese nobles often decorate their homes with glass windows. This knife is for cutting through without breaking them or making too much noise," she explained offhandedly. "Since this window opens from the inside, all I have to do is… there. Hold on tight."

Morgan dexterously reached through the hole and undid the latch. She then slipped a few inches down her rope so that she could safely swing the window open.

"We're in," Morgan announced, sounding very pleased with herself as she pulled herself back up to the window and into the tower. At the same time, Ellie extracted herself from Morgan's hood and began darting back and forth excitedly.

Once inside, Morgan turned and offered a hand to her sister, and then Owain, before finally pulling up the grapple. After a quick glance to ensure they were alone, she began putting her tools away, somehow resisting the urge to gawk at Sol Sanctus's beautiful interior.

Severa, on the other hand, began surveying the hallway immediately. "Nice décor," she remarked. The tower's outer walls had been built from ordinary bricks, but on the inside, the walls were comprised of smaller, finer bricks, laid so carefully that the seams were nearly invisible. Ribbons of silky, golden cloth had been draped along the top of each wall.

"A fitting shrine for the heart of the world," Owain agreed, reaching down to press his palm into the luxurious carpet stretched along the center of the hallway.

Morgan glanced only briefly at the carpet and the walls before her attention was drawn to Sol Sanctus's lights. Simple, yet elegant sculptures of curved golden rods were spaced evenly across either wall, adorned with small crystals of light similar to the gemstones upon Morgan's lantern rings. "Look. Quite a bit of magic went into building Sol Sanctus, too," Morgan declared, wearing a smug and satisfied expression. She glanced back at the silver butterfly hovering just over her right shoulder. "Come on, Ellie. Let's see what sort of secrets the light has been hiding," she whispered eagerly.

* * *

Their first hour wandering through Sol Sanctus proved fairly disappointing. The seemingly endless hallways and staircases were every bit as empty as Helios he claimed. Once in a while, the hallways were punctuated by a large chamber, richly adorned with tapestries, murals, and statues of a handsome, nondescript winged man. Morgan, Severa, Owain, and even Ellie paused to inspect the various decorations the first time, but there was little sense to be made of the generic artworks.

Every now and then, a Sun Guard patrol could be heart clomping down the hallways, their heavy metal boots clanking loudly even against the plush golden carpeting. Thankfully, Morgan kept an eye out for good hiding places as they went, and had little trouble steering her companions clear of the wandering guards. One such turn brought them a large room with an open entryway wide enough for five broad-shouldered men to stand side by side. It was the first room they had discovered that seemed to serve a specific purpose: long wooden tables stretched across the room, laden with cloth garments, armor, and weapons, all sharing the white and gold color scheme of the Sun Guard.

"An armory?" Morgan wondered aloud, her gaze slowly sweeping across the room.

"It sure looks like one," Severa said. She wrinkled her nose as she leaned in to inspect a heavy breastplate lying on a nearby table. "It's kind of a mess, though, don't you think?"

Meanwhile, Owain had gravitated towards a curved sword identical to Helios's. "I dub thee… Talon of the… no, too mundane… Shimmering Carver? Hmm… no, that's not right either," he mumbled to himself.

"Uh… Owain? Are you okay?" Morgan asked nervously.

"He's fine," Severa sighed. "He just likes naming weapons. Or armor. Or anything, really. You should have seen him when Ophelia was born."

"Oh," Morgan said. She watched in growing amusement as Owain continued to spout out different names, each more grandiose than the last. Then, after several more minutes had passed, Morgan's attention returned to the task at hand. "Do you think they inventory their equipment?" she asked.

"Probably," Severa guessed. "Why?"

Morgan lightly tapped a set of robes, an inquisitive look upon her face. "I think these robes are enchanted. These patterns aren't just decorative; they look like glyphs of some sort. I think it's warded to protect its wearer from magic."

"Really?" Severa asked, eyeing the robes thoughtfully. "How would they know how to shield their soldiers from magic if magic is outlawed? And why would they even bother?"

"They might still be holding onto magical research left behind from before the sun went out," Morgan reasoned. She looked at the robes wistfully. "Think they'll notice if I steal a set to study later?" she asked hopefully.

"Probably. Does it really matter, though? They'll know someone broke in once they find that hole you cut in their window," Severa pointed out.

"Enemies approach!" Owain suddenly warned, spotting an approaching shadow in the hallway.

Though Morgan could not hear or see any approaching guards, she did not hesitate. "Under here," she ordered, sliding beneath the table. Severa and Owain followed suit, and they held their breaths as half a dozen robed guards stepped past the room's entrance.

As soon as the guards were out of sight, Morgan crawled out from underneath the table and back onto her feet. "Nice catch, Owain," she said with a relieved sigh.

"No bumbling fools such as they will catch us by surprise," Owain promised.

"Not so bumbling, sadly," Morgan said disappointedly. "I guess it was too much to hope that we would hear every one of their patrols from a mile away. Want to take the sword, Owain?"

Owain glanced over at the weapon and teetered indecisively for a few moments before finally shaking his head. "The curvature of the blade is too exotic to feel comfortable," he decided.

"Since when has exotic ever stopped you?" Severa teased, though she didn't argue any further, nor did she make any move to take any of the equipment for herself.

"Okay. Just give a minute and we can get going," Morgan said. She collected the set of robes she had been inspecting earlier, stuffing them unceremoniously into her pouch. Then, as she took one last look at the goods lying about them, she spotted a large parchment scroll.

"What is that?" Severa asked curiously, when she noticed her sister studying the parchment.

"A map of Monolith, I think," Morgan said. With a shrug, she rolled up the scroll and stashed it away as well. "Come on. Let's go and see what else they're keeping here."

* * *

After ascending two more flights of stairs, Morgan spotted a large golden placard embedded into the wall beside an entryway leading into a small room. "Checkmate," she whispered, smiling gleefully as the approached the room. Like the armory, the room had no doors. The doorway was far smaller – only about four feet across – and had been roped off neatly by a thick, golden cord. The room appeared mostly clear. A single, large wooden desk rested at the center of the room, and the walls were lined with shelves laden with tightly bound parchment scrolls.

"Sun Guard Records Hall. First Class Access only," Severa read aloud. She heaved an exasperated sigh. "I suppose we've already smashed all of their rules into thousands of pieces simply by being here. We may as well stick our noses everywhere they're explicitly unwelcome, too, right?" she asked sarcastically.

"Exactly," Morgan replied, nodding enthusiastically. However, she reached out to stop Owain before he could climb over the meager barrier. "Hold on, Owain."

Owain looked at her questioningly, but Morgan went silent, stooping low to examine the floor just past the doorway. After what felt like a full minute, she reached down to her sash, extracting a small cloth sack filled with white powder. She took a large pinch of the floury substance and spread it across the ground, drawing a rough square.

The young tactician then looked up to Ellie and nodded. The small silver butterfly darted into the room ahead of them and began skimming the ground, pausing abruptly about five feet in.

"Don't step on the chalk," Morgan warned, carefully stepping over the marked square herself.

"Why?" Severa asked, sounding rather annoyed at being kept in the dark. Still, she obeyed her sister's warning, agilely stepping over the mark and helping Owain safely over as well.

"Pressure plate. It probably just sets off an alarm, but I might be wrong. It could be something much nastier," Morgan explained.

"Nastier how?" Owain asked nervously.

"Oh, you know, poisoned darts, floors collapsing, ceilings collapsing, stuff like that," Morgan said casually. "There's more of these traps, too, so stay close behind me," she instructed. She stepped lightly over to Ellie, then bent down to inspect the floor there. Ellie promptly soared off, and by the time Morgan had finished marking the second trap, the little silver butterfly had already discovered a third.

"What sort of records are more important than their weapons and armor?" Severa wondered, staring at the shelves.

In answer, Morgan stepped up to the nearest shelf, plucking a scroll from it, which she tossed to Severa. "Why don't we find out?" she suggested, before attending to yet another pressure plate.

Severa curiously unfurled the parchment, moving to stand beside Owain so that he could read it with her.

"Darren. Nineteen. Fourth Class. Leo's Rest. Patrol leader, Gris. Combat prowess, below average. Preferred weapon, glaive. Father, farmer, deceased. Mother, farmer. Two younger brothers. One younger sister, deceased. Subservient. Punctual. Easily discouraged," Owain said, reading from the scroll.

"It also lists some of his friends, the date he enlisted, and each of his transfers," Severa added. She looked again at the shelves, noting the vast amount of such scrolls. "They must be keeping such a record for every member of the Sun Guard."

"I wonder if Helios has a record around here somewhere," Owain said.

"Probably," Severa replied absently. "But something isn't right here. Morgan was right; this doesn't add up at all. Why would they lay all these alarms or traps here, protecting their records of their soldiers, but not in the armory with their weapons and armor?"

Meanwhile, Morgan had already finished searching the rest of the room, and rectangular patches of chalk dotted the floor haphazardly. She had then made her way to the desk, and was poring over the unfurled scrolls lying upon it. "Severa, Owain, you should come see this," she announced.

Severa rolled up the scroll she was holding and retied it with the thick, golden string, doing her best to restore the newly furled scroll to its original state. Then, she handed it to Owain, gesturing towards the shelf, and began carefully made her way around the marked traps to stand at her sister's side.

"Crescent. Twenty-two. Third Class. Sol Hearth. Patrol Leader, Baron. Combat prowess, exemplary. Preferred weapon, longbow. Father, Sun Guard, deceased. Mother, baker, deceased. Older brother, deceased. Subservient. Modest. Loyal. Intelligent and inquisitive. Emotionally sensitive. Not confrontational. Requested additional training with the glaive. Enjoys reading. Known acquaintances: Kristi, farmer. Leia, baker. Dahlia, librarian. Helios, Sun Guard, Fourth Class. Demonstrates romantic interest in Helios. Patrol Leader highly recommends promotion to Second Class," Severa read aloud. She frowned. "This seems a little bit excessive. Making a note about her friends and love life?"

"Look closely, Severa," Morgan urged. "See how Helios's name is written in red?"

"Yeah," Severa acknowledged, and she shifted the scroll slightly so that Owain – who had finally finished replacing the other scroll – could read it as well.

"A scarlet hue to represent the burning passions of the heart," Owain suggested.

"To point out how glaringly obvious it is," Severa offered. "To everyone but Helios, that is. You'd think that kiss would've tipped him off…"

"The word 'inquisitive' is also written in red, though," Morgan pointed out.

Severa saw that her sister was right. "That _is_ odd," she said, frowning.

"And look," Morgan went on, pointing towards the shelves lining the walls. "Most of the scrolls are bound with golden string, and there's a golden string here, too, beside Crescent's scroll, but some of them are bound with red string instead." She stepped over to the nearest shelf, and selected two of the scrolls bound with red string. She returned to the desk and put one aside before unfurling the other.

Unlike the first two scrolls, most of the scrawled notes upon this new scroll was done in red, and one particular comment immediately stood out from the others.

"Suspected Nihilist!?" Morgan exclaimed.

"Davis. Twenty-eight. Fourth Class. Ursa's Respite," Severa muttered, reading from the top. "It's all written in black until…"

"Insubordinate. Easily frustrated. Confrontational," Morgan said, continuing to read off the red lettering. "There's a list of his acquaintances, too, and several of their names are in red, too." Plagued with newfound worries, the young tactician brushed Davis's scroll aside and laid flat the other scroll that had been bound in red. Almost all of the traits listed on this scroll shone crimson.

"This one says 'Confirmed Nihilist'," Owain said wonderingly. "They know they have a Nihilist among the Sun Guard, and they're not doing anything about him?"

"Well, they're listing everyone he associates with, and most of them are marked in red, too," Severa pointed out grimly. "I bet they're watching him pretty closely. No wonder this room was so carefully protected."

Morgan was no longer paying any attention to their conversation, and had begun searching through the other shelves in a hurry. At first, she moved from shelf to shelf, though after looking through about a dozen scrolls, she narrowed her search down to a specific pile of scrolls.

"What's wrong, Morgan?" Severa asked, sensing an uncharacteristic sense of distress in the younger girl.

"Red ink. They use red to indicate a connection to the Nihilists," Morgan babbled frantically, sounding panicked.

"It looks to be that way," Severa agreed. Then her expression became one of shock as she realized what Morgan was hinting at. Severa looked down at Crescent's record once more, and the first instance of the red lettering that they had noticed.

At the same time, Morgan had finally found what she had been searching for. "Helios. Twenty-six. Fourth Class. Aquila's Ascent," she began to read aloud. "Combat prowess: Extraordinary. Preferred weapon: sword. Father, Sun Guard, deceased. Mother, tailor, deceased. Independent. Perceptive. Rebellious. Inquisitive. Insubordinate. Dedicated. Reckless. Highly confrontational. Trains individually. Often disregards personal wellbeing. Known acquaintances: Tohl, Sun Guard, Third Class. Crescent, Sun Guard, Third Class. Strong nihilistic inclinations. Suspected Nihilist."

"Suspected Nihilist," Severa echoed hollowly.

"Almost all of it is in red," Morgan whispered, horrified. "All of his traits… even the note about him being an extraordinary fighter."

Maybe they're wrong," Owain said hopefully.

"They must have made a mistake," Severa agreed. "Independent? Rebellious? Often disregards personal wellbeing? They could say the same about you, Morgan, and you don't seem to have any interest in ending the world, or whatever. They're just misreading the signs."

Morgan didn't seem to be listening. She tossed Helios's scroll aside, and began scanning the shelves around them, a worried look upon her face. "Look how many there are," she said in a hushed tone. "So much information about their soldiers… so many scrolls bound in red."

"Exactly. It must be a lot for them to sift through. Surely they'd make a mistake every now and then," Severa reasoned.

"No," Morgan said, shaking her head vigorously. Her voice grew steady once more. "It's not a mistake. It can't have been a mistake," she said firmly. "They've examined so many lives and noted down so many details. By now, they must know exactly what they're searching for."

"But Morgan…" Severa began to protest. She cut her sentence short when she heard the soft clapping of approaching footsteps. She, Morgan, and Owain all instinctively looked towards the doorway. Realizing they wouldn't be able to hide with Morgan's chalk scattered across the ground, all three of them wordlessly drew their weapons.

A moment later, a youthful brown-haired man dressed in the robes of a Sun Guard appeared in front of the entryway. He was joined almost immediately by a second man who looked eerily similar, down to the same hair, face, robes… even the same shocked expression.

"W-what are you doing here!?" the first Sun Guard gasped. "You shouldn't be here!"

For several seconds, the two parties stood frozen, staring at one another. Then Morgan sheathed her sword, and to everyone's surprise, she smiled. "Neither should you," she guessed.

"Watch it! We're Sun Guard. You aren't," the second Sun Guard pointed out nastily.

"But you're only Third Class," Morgan pointed out, gesturing towards their robes, which looked almost identical to the robes Crescent had been wearing. "You aren't supposed to be up past the first floor, either."

"Who says?" the second Sun Guard barked defiantly.

"Well, why don't I just set off one of these alarms, then?" Morgan offered teasingly. She drew her sword once again and motioned as if to throw it onto one of the marked pressure plates.

"No! Don't!" both of the Sun Guards exclaimed.

"Oh?" Morgan asked, winking slyly. "Why not? You're Sun Guard, aren't you?"

"Okay, fine! You got us. We're not supposed to be here, either," the first Sun Guard admitted hurriedly. "Look, we won't say anything about this if you won't. We can all walk away from this. No one has to know any of us were here. Alright? Deal?" he offered, though he glanced nervously at the chalk markings Morgan had made.

"I think they'll know someone was here," Morgan said. "And sorry, but no deal."

"If they catch us here, you'll be no better off than we are," the second Sun Guard sternly reminded.

"They won't catch me here," Morgan said confidently. "And they won't catch you, either, if you hurry up and do as I say."

"Umm… I think you're pushing your luck," Severa warned Morgan softly, though privately, it amused her to see two adult men cowering before a thirteen-year-old girl.

As she was often in the habit of doing, Morgan simply ignored her older sister. "Who are you two?" she asked the two Sun Guards. When they simply stared at her in disbelief, she heaved a dramatic sigh. "Fine, I'll go first. I'm Cynthia. Nice to meet you," she said brightly.

The Sun Guards stared for a moment longer. Finally, one of them reluctantly gave in. "I'm Trance," he introduced himself.

"Are you sure about this?" the second Sun Guard asked him nervously.

"Do we have a choice?" Trance shot back.

The other Sun Guard sighed helplessly. "Ferus."

"See? We can be civil about this," Morgan said. "So, Trance, Ferus… say, are you two twins? Never mind. What are you two looking for? Maybe we can help you find it."

"A scroll," Ferus replied evasively.

Morgan glanced at the wall, which was covered in nothing but scrolls. "Could you be a bit more specific?" she asked mildly.

Trance groaned. "Look, we were ordered to come here and take a look at a specific record, alright? Neither of us even know the guy."

"Hmm… that doesn't sound like an order the Sun Guard gave you," Morgan noted, her eyes narrowing accusingly. "You're Nihilists, aren't you?"

Trance cringed and looked dismayed. In contrast, Ferus seemed angered by the accusation. "We're _not_ Nihilists," he spat hotly.

"Oh, I know. That's just what the Sun Guard calls you, right?" Morgan said. This time, Severa and Owain joined the two Sun Guards in staring curiously at the young tactician. "You _are_ up to something, but that something certainly isn't destroying Monolith."

"H-how did… what do you…" Trance stammered weakly.

"What do I know about the Nihilists?" Morgan guessed. "Absolutely nothing, asides from the fact that you're not nihilists at all. I'd love to hear your side of the story, but as you pointed out earlier, we _really_ don't want to get caught here. So, why don't you tell me whose record you're searching for? My friends and I can help you find it, then we can all get out of here together and hole up some place safer to talk," she offered calmly.

Trance and Ferus exchanged worried looks.

"I… alright, sure," Trance agreed tentatively. "We're searching for some guy named Helios. Fourth Class, out of Aquila's Ascent."

Morgan's composure finally faltered. "What for? Is he one of yours?" she asked, trying and failing to keep her voice even.

"No idea," Ferus said. "Err… I mean, no, he's not one of ours. We're not sure why the boss wants to see this guy's record. I was there when the survivors from Aquila's Ascent arrived a few hours ago, and there wasn't anyone named Helios among them."

"We just need to take a quick look at it. If you'll just let us find it, we can all get out of here. Then we can take you to the captain and you can ask him yourself," Trance offered.

"Sure," Morgan agreed, gesturing towards a nearby shelf. At the same time, she subtly shifted Helios's fallen record further behind her feet, keeping it out of sight of the two Sun Guards. "That's the shelf for Aquila's Ascent, but you won't find Helios's record there."

"How do you know?" Ferus asked suspiciously.

"I searched it already. Do you want to waste time searching it again yourselves, or can we get going now?" Morgan asked. "I'm telling you, it's a needless risk. You won't find what you're searching for."

Trance looked as if he was about to argue further, but he changed his mind, throwing up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine. Let's just get out of here," he said.

* * *

"Hurry it up," Morgan urged impatiently, knowing they didn't have long before the next patrol came by.

"This is insane. You're insane," Ferus wheezed, sounding terrified as he continued slowly climbing down the rope, hand over hand.

"Sorry. My brother's always been scared of heights," Trance muttered.

"It's okay," Morgan said, although she looked back and forth nervously. Getting out of Sol Sanctus had seemed incredibly easy at first. It had only taken them a few minutes to reach the nearest window, tie down a rope, and lower it to the ground. Severa, Owain, and even Trance had followed Morgan down the rope with little to no hesitation, but Ferus seemed half-petrified with fear.

After what felt like an eternity, Ferus finally reached the ground. Looking overcome by relief, he nearly collapsed then and there.

"We can't linger here," Morgan berated the Sun Guard.

"What about the rope?" Severa asked wonderingly.

"Ellie will take care of it," Morgan assured, waving up towards the open window above. A few seconds later, the untied rope slipped down to the ground in a messy coil and the window above closed. Ellie plummeted down towards the ground, catching herself at the last minute and squeezing herself into Morgan's hood once more. "Alright. Lead the way, Trance," Morgan said. She fully expected that the unlatched window would be discovered sooner or later, but likely not before someone stumbled across the chalk she had left all over the Records Hall.

"One second," Trance said, nodding towards his twin. The two of them began removing their robes in unison, revealing ordinary clothes beneath. The two of them still looked almost identical, and the only difference to be found was in their colored scarves: a rich, vivid red one for Trance, and a soft, forest green for Ferus. When Trance saw Morgan staring at the scarves, he winked at her. "We wear them so that others can tell us apart," he explained.

"Good idea," Morgan said.

Without another word, Trance and Ferus started off towards the nearby market district. Owain began following them right away, but when Morgan tried to do the same, Severa held her back. "Morgan, what's going on here? What do you know?" she demanded quietly.

"I'm not entirely sure," Morgan admitted. "But something else is going on here… something big that Hel, at least, doesn't know about. Come on. We don't want to get left behind."

"You said earlier that the Nihilists aren't really trying to destroy their world," Severa reminded as she and her sister resumed walking. "How did you know that?"

"I was guessing," Morgan admitted. "It's been a while since I've read any philosophy, but true nihilists are supposed to people who don't care about anything. The people the Sun Guard has been making note of are the exact opposite. They're all people who care too much, like Hel."

"Care too much?" Severa echoed doubtfully. "Helios didn't seem to care much about anything at all, other than maybe Crescent."

"Really? I was thinking exactly the opposite," Morgan said. "You saw how well Hel fought, both against the Nihilists and the Nightmares. People who've stopped caring don't spend countless hours training on their own like he does. It's rules that Hel doesn't really care for… and can you really blame him for that?"

"I guess not," Severa said.

"The strange thing is, when we asked Hel about Crescent, he seemed to really care about her," Morgan went on thoughtfully. "But he barely mentioned her before that. Even when we were talking to the border guard, he only mentioned that other friend of his, remember?"

"That's because he's an idiot," Severa muttered.

Morgan gave her sister a puzzled look.

"You heard what he said before, about how visitors can only spend seven days a month here," Severa reminded.

"So?" Morgan asked, not quite understanding.

"So he's scared," Severa answered simply. "He joined the Sun Guard with high hopes, and that all fell flat, leaving him with nothing. It's not that he doesn't care about Crescent. He's just afraid that he'll never be able to get close to her."

"Hmm… he might have been right to be afraid," Morgan said. "Since the Sun Guard considers him dangerous, he'll probably never get his promotion."

"Which is why he's an idiot," Severa grumbled. "He doesn't need to be promoted. He just needs to stop worrying about messing something up long enough to see what's right in front of him."

"Are we still talking about Hel, or are we talking about you, now?" Morgan teased.

"Me? What are you talking about?" Severa asked blankly.

"After you two left Ylisse, Morgan told me that you might have left because of Owain. She said the two of you were close, but you seemed to be afraid for some reason," Morgan said. "She was worried that neither of you would ever work things out. How long did it take, anyways?"

"T-that's none of your business!" Severa snapped.

"If you say so," Morgan said with an infuriating smirk, before skipping ahead to catch up to Owain.

With an exasperated groan, Severa quickened her own pace as well. Morgan's words lingered in her mind, and almost involuntarily, she remembered the day Owain had finally proposed to her, immediately after a failed prank.

A smile crossed Severa's lips as an intriguing idea occurred to her. Her younger sister had yet to explain what it was that had driven her so far away from her home in Ylisstol; perhaps there was a way she could convince Morgan to open up a little bit about her past…


	10. Chapter 8: Legacy of the Deicide

**~ Chapter 8 ~**

 **Legacy of the Deicide**

As they neared the far end of the market district, Trance came to an abrupt stop. He glanced around quickly, as if to make sure no one else was watching, then beckoned towards a windowless storefront. "In here," he said, tugging aside the velvet curtain hanging over the building's only entrance. A rusting sign had been nailed to the wall, labeling the building as a carpenter's shop.

Owain started towards the building, but Morgan tugged lightly at the back of his shirt, stopping him. "After you," Morgan said to Trance and Ferus, ignoring Owain's questioning look.

Trance and Ferus understood at once, the latter laughing harshly. "It would've been easier to arrange an ambush than lay out traps," he pointed out, rolling his eyes. He stepped through the doorway anyways, not wanting to belabor the point. Trance followed close behind, disappearing into the store as well.

Morgan pushed her way past Owain. Then, with one hand resting upon Alondite's hilt, Morgan cautiously followed the brothers into the room. The oil lanterns hanging along the walls were unlit; when Severa entered last, pulling the curtain closed behind her, the small store was left in almost absolute darkness.

Ferus made his way to the corner of the room, then roughly kicked aside a plain, oblong rug. He then crouched down, easily peeling aside a portion of the wooden flooring to reveal a brass handle built into the floor. The concealed trap door creaked open a moment later, and the yellowish glow of an oil lantern shined up through the opening.

"We've got visitors, Captain," Ferus announced, his tone making it clear that he was still amply annoyed with the young, red-haired girl.

"Visitors?" a gruff voice drifted up from the hidden room. "Have you lost your mind, lad?"

Upon hearing that voice, Morgan's face lit up with understanding. She quickly slipped past the twins and agilely dropped into the comfortably furnished room below, foregoing the short ladder altogether. "Hello, Bayn!" she greeted the man within cheerfully.

The older Sun Guard could only gape at her wordlessly.

* * *

At Trance's insistent, Severa and Owain followed Ferus down the ladder first. Trance then positioned the displaced floorboard carefully so that when he rejoined the others, tugging the trapdoor closed as he went, the wooden board fell back into place with a soft click.

"How are we going to get back out?" Morgan asked, frowning.

"You'll see," Trance said with a wink.

"Perhaps," Ferus added darkly.

Ignoring his brother, Trance did his best to keep their meeting cordial. "Have you already met the captain, Cynthia? Is that how you knew all about us?" he asked.

"Cynthia?" Bayn echoed sharply.

Morgan smiled weakly, remembering now that she had given Bayn a different false name. "Uh… never mind that for now," she said hastily. "Bayn, you sent Trance and Ferus here to look for Helios's record, didn't you? We ran into them inside Sol Sanctus a short while ago."

"What were you doing inside Sol Sanctus?" Bayn asked, looking horrified. "And how did you know about the records?"

"We were just taking a look around," Morgan said evasively. "We didn't know about the records until we stumbled across them."

"Just taking a look around?" Bayn repeated faintly. "Who _are_ you people?"

"I was hoping to ask you the same thing," Morgan said. "But before we get into that, is there any way you can help us find Helios? I think he'll want to hear what we have to say."

Surprised, Bayn shot a questioning look at Trance and Ferus.

"We didn't get to look for the record. _She_ said we wouldn't be able to find it," Ferus said, pointing accusingly at Morgan.

Bayn turned back to Morgan, who remained thoroughly unapologetic. The older Sun Guard heaved a deep sigh. "I was curious about your Sun Guard friend," he admitted. "Making the journey to Sol Hearth alone after dark is no easy feat, even without the burden of protecting three civilians… but you three aren't exactly civilians, are you?" He gestured towards the weapons Morgan, Severa, and Owain were carrying, most notably Severa's glaive, identical to the one he had confiscated earlier that day.

"Not really, no," Morgan admitted. "Helios really does fight pretty well, though. He destroyed most of the wraiths – I mean, Nightmares – that we encountered on our way here."

"Wraiths?" Severa muttered, catching the slip of tongue.

"Truly?" Bayn asked, sounding uncertain. "Few of the Sun Guard can stand their ground alone against even a single Nightmare. Of those who can, fewer still remain in Fourth Class and out in the Reaches. I knew that either the story he told me was incomplete, or he had done something to scare the Sun Guard into keeping him at arm's length."

"A bit of both, really," Morgan said. "If you can bring him here and let me talk to him, I think he'll hear you out. Unless, of course, I'm wrong about you, and you _are_ planning to destroy Monolith. If you tell him that, he'll probably just kill you all. I'd help him, too."

Severa and Owain both flinched as Trance and Ferus looked at Morgan in alarm. Bayn, too, froze up at the threat, but a moment later, he burst out laughing. "You're a feisty one, Cordelia – or Cynthia, whichever might be your real name," he chortled. "Fear not, lass. My friends and I have no intention of destroying our home."

"That's what I thought," Morgan nodded. "So, can you help us look for Hel?"

"Of course," Bayn agreed. "We've been keeping an eye on your friend. I meant to speak with him tonight if his record seemed promising. I'll go and fetch him; why don't you three wait here? Make yourselves at home."

"Thanks," Morgan said.

Bayn nodded and set off without another word. He pressed his ear against the trapdoor from below, and once he was certain that no one was above waiting for them, he gave the trapdoor a precise shove. There was a loud clatter above as the covering floorboard was knocked aside. Bayn disappeared from sight, leaving the trapdoor open.

"Don't close it yet," Morgan interrupted Trance, who had started to rise. She then began fumbling with her pouch, ignoring Trance's questioning look.

Severa plopped herself down upon a nearby couch, then stared expectantly at her younger sister. "Wraiths?" she asked pointedly.

"I'll explain once Hel gets here," Morgan promised, extracting a small jar from the pouch. The glass container was halfway filled with a gelatinous, dark-colored substance.

"What's that?" Ferus asked suspiciously.

"Nothing important. I just want to make sure Bayn and Hel don't accidentally kill each other," Morgan explained. She rubbed a sizable dollop of the jar's contents into her hair, which quickly changed from its normal vibrant red hue to a soothingly dark shade of blue. "I'll be right back."

* * *

Though it was never truly dark in Sol Hearth, the city streets still grew quiet as the Solcryst dimmed. The market district was nearly deserted, for most of the vendors had already retired for the night, either to their homes or to one of the populous city's many taverns. There was little left to see or do, but neither Helios nor Crescent seemed to mind much as they wandered aimlessly without any destination in mind.

"Well? What do you think?" Crescent asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Helios turned to her questioningly. "Hmm?"

"About that restaurant," Crescent prodded. "Did you like it?"

"Oh. Yeah, I thought it was nice," Helios said. "The open kitchen was pretty neat, I thought. It makes me wish I knew how to cook; I had no idea what those chefs were doing half the time. It's a shame the barracks back in Aquila don't have any kitchens." His expression hardened slightly as his mind wandered. Though he had tried his best not to show any weakness to his new friends before, the fate of his home city still weighed heavily upon him.

Sensing her friend's mood, Crescent immediately tried to change the subject. "My mother taught me a little bit about cooking when I was little. I could show you sometime, if you'd like," she offered.

"Your barracks don't have any kitchens either," Helios reminded wryly.

"Hmm… true," Crescent said thoughtfully. "But if we can sneak into Sol Sanctus, the barracks inside should have kitchens."

"Really?" Helios asked doubtfully.

"You've been to the mess hall before, haven't you?" Crescent asked. "They have to cook the food somewhere, you know."

Helios made a face. "The slop they serve is too tasteless to have come from a real kitchen," he remarked.

"Good point," Crescent said, grinning. "Now that I think about it, it's kind of strange how the mess hall is always so crowded.

"Well, the food there is free," Helios shrugged. "Eating there saves money for drinking, I suppose."

"That's probably it," Crescent agreed, glancing further down the street. A large tavern was situated about a block away. An embossed wooden sign hung over the tavern's doorway, depicting an ornate dagger.

Helios followed Crescent's gaze, smiling when he saw the tavern. "We could stop by if you want. You know, grab a couple drinks, visit with your patrol…" he suggested with a playful wink.

Crescent rolled her eyes. "Very funny," she said, reaching out and shoving Helios lightly.

"Sorry," Helios apologized, though he continued smiling disarmingly. But thinking of Crescent's patrol soon led him to think of his own patrol, and his good humor dissipated again.

"Hey, Hel? Are you alright?" Crescent asked, her eyes shining with worry.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Helios replied. "I was just thinking about my coming reassignment. At least I'm used to getting shuffled around by now."

"I suppose you are," Crescent said in a resigned tone. "Say, you've been saving up your pay for a while, haven't you? Once you figure out where you're headed, why don't you buy yourself a small home there? Wouldn't it be nice to have a place all to yourself?"

"I guess," Helios agreed, though he didn't seem too enthusiastic about the idea.

"Are you saving up for something specific?" Crescent asked curiously.

Helios thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not really. What about you?" he asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Crescent said, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully. "I thought about buying a small bakery, like the one my mother used to run, but storefronts in Sol Hearth are more expensive than I had thought."

"You're still thinking about leaving the Sun Guard, then?" Helios asked.

"Someday," Crescent admitted. "I don't really want to keep living this life forever, you know? It can be pretty tiring."

"I know what you mean," Helios sighed.

"That day's still a long way off, though," Crescent added. "It'll be a while before I can even afford an actual home here, let alone a bakery. Well, I suppose I could always move out to one of the Reaches instead…"

At those words, Helios tensed up. "Don't," he advised.

Crescent smiled knowingly, and didn't press the matter any further. She and Helios had shared this particular conversation many times before, and though she found her friend's protectiveness to be a bit exasperating, it was also rather touching, in a way.

A voice rang out loudly from somewhere close by, startling both Helios and Crescent. "Well, well… if it isn't the Sun Guard's most infamous miscreant."

At the sound of that familiar voice, Helios's hand instinctively shot up, intercepting a light punch that had been thrown at his shoulder. Helios turned and grinned at the Sun Guard standing behind him and Crescent – a muscular man of roughly his height with tousled, auburn hair, a grizzled chin, and a rough, vaguely wolfish face. "Most infamous, huh? When did that happen?"

The newcomer tossed his head back and laughed. "I knew you'd take it as a compliment," he chuckled. "It's good to see you, Hel."

"Good to see you, too, Tohl," Helios replied.

Tohl raised his arm as if to try to punch Helios on the shoulder again, but unclenched his fist, and the two friends clapped their hands together instead. Tohl then turned and smiled at Crescent. "Long time no see, Crescent," he said, holding out his hand invitingly.

"You mean since joint training yesterday?" Crescent reminded him dryly, though she accepted the offered handshake nonetheless.

"Bah. That doesn't count," Tohl said dismissively. "No one ever talks much during training."

"Oh, they talk," Helios remarked lightly. "They don't do a whole lot else, though."

"Too true," Tohl agreed with an exaggerated sigh. "We all do need a break every now and then, though, don't we? Come on. Let's swing by the Golden Dagger for a few rounds. First one's on me," he offered, nodding towards the nearby tavern.

Helios hesitated, and shot Crescent a sidelong glance.

Crescent smiled, understanding her friend's dilemma. "Sorry, Tohl, but I think I'll have to pass. I'm headed that way myself, but the rest of my patrol is expecting me," she explained. "You two have fun, alright? See you tomorrow, Hel?"

"I… yeah, alright," Helios agreed hesitantly. "See you tomorrow, Cress."

* * *

Nearly a quarter of the Golden Dagger's patrons were dressed in white and gold. Many more of the patrons were also part of the Sun Guard, Helios knew, and had changed into civilian clothing before joining their friends and comrades. The tavern was one of the most popular gathering places among the Sun Guard, thanks in no small part to its proximity to Sol Sanctus.

Tohl led the way to a table near the edge of the large common room, and a waitress dropped by soon after. "Two ales," Tohl requested. He had to speak rather loudly simply to be heard, for a group of musicians were playing a lighthearted tune from the stage at the center of the room, adding to the tavern's infectiously cheery atmosphere.

Helios hardly noticed the waitress, nor the band. Instead, he looked across to the other end of the tavern, quickly spotting the very table he had been sitting at when he had first met Crescent nearly two years ago. Helios immediately recognized Crescent's patrol, though he had never been formally introduced to them. When Crescent unexpectedly joined them, most looked up in surprise. Three were otherwise occupied; two were clearly drunk, and were clumsily sparring with a pair of training poles, while the last was speaking with a civilian woman while lazily flinging darts at one of the many targets pinned to the wall.

"So, what happened out in Aquila?" Tohl asked, jarring Helios from his contemplations.

"I'm not entirely sure," Helios said slowly. "I was out of the city when it happened."

"Out of the city? Past curfew?" Tohl frowned.

"I was already on my way here," Helios shrugged, deciding to stick with the story he had offered the border guards. "We were escorting a caravan, but it broke down about a mile out from the city… spent the better part of the day trying to fix it, and ended up staying out just a bit too late."

"Fools," Tohl groaned.

Helios shrugged again. "It should have been alright," he said. "We dispatched the first few Nightmares easily enough. Problem was, just before we got back to Aquila, the Sun Spire went dark. The walls were already swamped with Nightmares. Most of the others wanted to try fighting their way through. I just made a break for it, taking the few civilians who'd listen."

"You abandoned your patrol?" Tohl asked sharply.

"There were only six of us. If we had gone for the gate, we would've been outnumbered ten times over, at least," Helios said in a resigned tone. "I tried to sway the others into coming with me, but they weren't keen on listening. I wonder if any of them made it. I haven't heard anything else since speaking with the border patrol earlier."

"Well, you may have made the right choice," Tohl conceded with a sigh. "Only a handful of ours made it here to Sol Hearth alive. They were all from Aquila's border patrol, so they were near the walls already with their weapons at hand, and still, less than a third of them survived."

"They were all stationed at the walls, huh?" Helios grimaced. "Figures. Guess no one's going to be able to tell us what really happened, then."

"Oh we already know what happened," Tohl said dismissively. "The Nihilists happened, of course. What else could it have been?"

"Sure," Helios nodded. "Still wish I knew _how_ ," he mumbled, thinking of Morgan and her friends, and the concerns they had voiced. How _had_ the Nihilists broken through the Sun Guard patrol so quickly? As incompetent as some of the Sun Guard could be, they had been better equipped, and at least nine of the Nihilists had been intercepted before reaching the Sun Spire.

The waitress reappeared with two mugs of foamy ale, then vanished back into the crowd after Tohl handed her a couple small coins. Tohl slid one of the mugs across to Helios, then took a long draught from the other. "So, you haven't heard any news at all? Any idea what's happening to you and the other survivors?"

"Sort of," Helios replied, ignoring the beverage. Though he frequented the Golden Dagger at least once during each visit to Sol Hearth, he almost never drank; most of the time, Tohl eventually drank the second ale himself. "The captain at the border offered to transfer me out to another one of the Reaches. It'll probably happen anyways, unless we can rebuild Aquila's Sun Spire… but if we could do that, why haven't we built more of those things sooner?"

"True," Tohl agreed. "Well, as sad as this business might be, it's a good opportunity for you, isn't it?"

"An opportunity for what?" Helios asked blankly.

"To learn to play nicely with your new patrol," Tohl grinned. "Come on, Hel. Would it kill you to get along with your patrol leader for a change?"

"I don't try _not_ to get along with anyone," Helios retorted grouchily.

"No, you don't. Most of the time, you just stand there scowling and silently judging them," Tohl sighed. "Other times, the judging comes less silently."

Helios shrugged and said nothing. Just like he often tried to discourage Crescent from moving out to the Reaches, this was far from the first time Tohl had tried to convince him to mold himself into a more conventional Sun Guard. As always, Helios remained unimpressed.

As he thought of his other friend, Helios's gaze instinctively swerved towards the other side of the room again. He knew that Crescent's earlier claims had been for his sake rather than her own; the dark-haired woman didn't care much for the other members of her patrol, and while she sat with them with a friendly expression upon her face, she wasn't taking any part in their conversation and seemed to be doing her best to ignore one of the previously-sparring swordsmen, who had since seated himself beside her.

"Ah, well. I suppose it can't be helped," Tohl conceded. When he saw that Helios wasn't listening, he followed his friend's gaze across the tavern. A sly smile crossed his lips. "I think she likes you, by the way."

"Who, Cress?" Helios said absently. "I sure hope she does. We've been friends for nearly two years now, after all."

"You know that's not what I meant," Tohl said, exasperated. "Everyone thinks her a complete recluse. I know a couple guys from her patrol; she hardly talks to any of them, apparently. Heck, I've tried striking up a conversation with her myself down at the training hall, but she just brushed me off. On the other hand, you see her for a week out of every month at most, yet you two seem to get along beautifully."

"Yes, well, maybe you and your friends should try not showing off in front of her at every opportunity," Helios suggested wryly. "When you tried talking with her, did you use one of those cheesy pickup lines of yours? Or did you go with that story about that Nightmare in the cornfield?"

"The cornfield," Tohl admitted with a laugh. "And it was two Nightmares, remember?"

"Of course. How could I forget? You've only told me this story, what, fifty times?" Helios said, chuckling. He went silent a moment later, though, and his eyes narrowed. Another Sun Guard – a tall and fairly handsome man, who seemed relatively coherent compared to most of the tavern's patrons – had risen from his chair and approached Crescent. He was gesturing emphatically towards a set of longbows leaning against the wall.

"It looks like he's challenging her to a shooting contest," Tohl remarked, noticing the same man. "I've heard that girl's got a steady hand, but the stories always seemed a bit exaggerated to me. Guess I'm about to see for myself, eh?"

Helios resisted the urge to laugh. He had never described Crescent's exploits to Tohl, especially since Crescent herself hardly cared to boast about her own abilities. "I doubt it," Helios remarked. "Cress isn't too keen on contests of any sort."

Contrary to Helios's prediction, Crescent rose after exchanging a few words with the other man. Crescent had her own bow with her, of course; like Helios, she always kept her weapon close at hand. Her rival picked up the nearest bow from the wall without looking, nocking an arrow and drawing it back with practiced ease.

"Maybe you don't know her as well as you thought," Tohl quipped.

Helios didn't respond, and the two friends watched in silence as Crescent's opponent took the first shot, placing his first arrow just a few inches off from the target's center.

Before taking her turn, Crescent looked across the tavern towards Helios, and they locked eyes for the briefest moment. Crescent winked, then fired at a second target, managing to emulate her opponent's shot perfectly.

"Not bad," Tohl said grudgingly. "I've seen better, though."

"She missed the center on purpose," Helios murmured, puzzled. "Is she mocking him? That's not like her at all."

Crescent dispelled that notion with her very next shot, for while her opponent missed his target entirely, Crescent's next arrow whistled into the target less than an inch away from her first. The two archers continued taking turns shooting, and after her sixth arrow, Crescent's intent became clear.

"Is she trying to draw something?" Tohl asked, catching on at last. This time, he sounded truly impressed. "Now _that_ I haven't seen before."

Helios only smiled, remembering one of his earlier visits to the training hall beside Crescent.

"Drawing what, though?" Tohl mused, as the contest continued. "She should be nearly finished by now. Most such games only go to ten shots, and she's already on her eight."

"You'll see," Helios said confidently, though in truth, he suspected otherwise.

Meanwhile, Crescent's opponent had finally caught on to her game. He seemed to be growing more and more flustered with each of his own erratic shots, only about half of which had found the target at all.

Then it was Crescent's final turn to shoot, and despite her complete disregard for the game's scoring, she had quite clearly won already. Nevertheless, her gaze sharpened as a look of extreme concentration came over her. She reached for her quiver and drew several arrows at once, then fired them off in rapid succession. As soon as the last arrow left her hand, she began reaching for more.

Half a minute later, Crescent's flurry came to an abrupt halt. No less than forty arrows had been left embedded in her target. Without so much as a glance towards her stunned opponent, Crescent returned to her seat.

Helios smile widened, for he recognized the pattern at once. One of the books in Sol Hearth's library was adorned with a curious drawing – a circle surrounded by elegantly-angled points, leaning against an arc with tapered tips and a smoothly curved outer edge. The book's author claimed it to be a depiction of the long-lost sun and lesser-known moon, and while the shapes bore little resemblance to the stories' claims, both Helios and Crescent had found the picture quite pleasing to look at.

"What is that supposed to be?" Tohl frowned.

Helios knew better than to try to explain. He only laughed, shaking his head in silent appreciation of his dear friend's skills, understanding that the show had been for his sake. None of the other spectators were likely to recognize the drawing for what it was, after all.

"By the light, you two are like a pair of grown-up kids, secretly passing notes to one another and hoping no one else notices," Tohl said teasingly. "Friends, you say?"

Helios shrugged, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, he didn't need to say anything at all, for at that exact moment, another Sun Guard – one that Helios recognized immediately – approached the table he and Tohl were seated at.

* * *

Concealed within the busy crowd, Morgan tensed up slightly as she watched Bayn approach Helios and the auburn-haired Sun Guard, who she could only assume was Tohl. Thankfully, with dozens of the Sun Guard nearby, trouble seemed unlikely, but the young tactician could only hope that her dangerously perceptive friend would not see through Bayn right away.

"Bayn knows what he's doing," Morgan reassured herself firmly. Trying to take her mind off of the potential danger, she peeked across the room to where Crescent was sitting, smiling when she saw the dumbfounded expressions the other Sun Guards there wore. Thanks to her small stature, Morgan had managed to push her way through the crowd in time to catch the tail end of the casual archery contest.

"Excuse me," came Helios's voice from somewhere frighteningly close by.

Morgan quickly and obediently scurried aside, then watched as Helios and Bayn made their way towards the tavern door. While she was quite relieved to see that her minimalist disguise had worked, she had been left with the daunting task of beating Bayn back to the secret room beneath the carpenter's shop.

The young tactician took a deep breath, then set off in a hurry, trying her best to visualize the fastest route as she went.

* * *

Five minutes later, Morgan tumbled down into the room where the others were waiting, entirely out of breath.

"Are you alright, Morgan?" Owain asked worriedly.

"No one killed anyone… right?" Trance asked in a hopeful tone.

"She's fine, and no one's dead," Severa answered in Morgan's stead, recognizing that her younger sister was only tired, and not otherwise distressed.

"Yeah. Everything's fine," Morgan said breathlessly. "They'll be back soon."

A second later, footsteps rang out in the carpenter's shop above. Then, as if to prove Morgan wrong, the distinct sound of swords being unsheathed rang out above them.

Helios's voice was muffled, but his sharp and dangerous tone could not be mistaken. "Start talking," he demanded.

"That's all we're here to do, lad," Bayn said calmly. "Now if you'll just follow me down…"

"You've got that backwards," Helios retorted fiercely. "Either you start explaining what's going on, or you're following me back to Headquarters."

"Damn," Ferus growled, drawing a slender, curved knife and rising from his seat.

Morgan reached the ladder first, though, and poked her head upstairs in a hurry. "Hel, wait!" she called.

Helios stared down in disbelief. "Morgan? What are you doing here?" he gasped. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "And what did you do to your hair?"

"Morgan?" Bayn echoed wryly. "Exactly how many names do you have, lass?"

"I dyed it. Look, Hel, just come down here so we can talk, okay?" Morgan pleaded, ignoring Bayn.

"You've got be to be kidding," Helios groaned. "He's one of them, Morgan! They're the ones who took down the Sun Spire! They killed almost everyone in Aquila's Ascent!" Then he swallowed, as if a dreadful thought had just occurred to him. He began scrutinizing Morgan more closely. "You're one of them, aren't you?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Of course not!" Morgan insisted quickly. "And they didn't try to destroy the Sun Spire, Hel." She glanced at Bayn. "Umm… you didn't, did you?"

"We did not," Bayn assured her.

"Come on, Hel, just hear us out. Please?" Morgan wheedled.

"I don't believe this," Helios moaned, shaking his head in frustration.

"There's more at stake here than you know, Hel. More than Bayn knows, too," Morgan insisted. "Just let us explain, and if you're not convinced, I'll… I'll head on home. I promise, Hel. I'm just trying to help, and if you hear me out and decide you don't want me here, I'll go."

"Go where?" Bayn frowned.

Helios and Morgan locked gazes, neither of them bothering to answer Bayn's question. Finally, Helios nodded reluctantly, and followed Morgan into the room below.

* * *

"Why don't you go first, _Cynthia_?" Ferus suggested derisively. "You apparently know so much more than we do. Funny, really, since you're the one who came to us for answers."

"Sure," Morgan agreed, doing her best to ignore the biting sarcasm. But instead of delving into an explanation then and there, she turned to Helios. "What's my name, Hel?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, and not the other way around?" Helios asked dryly.

"You did ask me that," Morgan said evenly. "You asked, and I answered. I need to know whether you'll listen to me, though, since what I'm about to tell you might be even harder to believe."

Helios heaved a deep sigh. "I'm listening, Morgan," he said. "Just… stop messing with my head, alright? Please?"

"Good luck with that," Severa snorted.

Morgan blushed. "Okay. I'll start, then," she said, trying to retain her composure. "I've seen the creatures you call Nightmares before. We have them in our world, too."

"Our world?" Ferus muttered, at the same time Owain asked, "We do?"

"We do," Morgan said. "Only we call them something different. We call them Necrotic Wraiths."

Severa stared at Morgan in confusion, unsure as to what sort of game Morgan was playing now.

"Severa and Owain have probably never heard of them," Morgan went on hastily. "They aren't very common. I've only seen them once myself before coming here to Monolith, which is why I didn't recognize them at first. The wraiths aren't the 'creatures of the night' that you think they are. Technically, they're not creatures at all."

"Then what are they?" Helios asked skeptically.

"They're leftover traces of magical energy," Morgan tried to explain. "Back in our world, some people study dark magic – a type of magic that's naturally unstable. This sort of magic leaves behind magical imbalances, which can become extremely dangerous if you don't perform the right rituals to correct them. When magic is used to tamper with life and souls – for example, creating a spell to attack someone's life force directly, bypassing any physical or magical protection, or a spell that allows you to drain someone's life force into yourself – an imbalance we call Necrotic Residue is created."

Helios, Bayn, Trance, and Ferus all stared at Morgan in disbelief.

"Draining someone's life force?" Ferus echoed weakly.

"Dark magic can get pretty nasty," Morgan nodded. "Anyways, if this Necrotic Residue isn't properly taken care of, it can manifest into Necrotic Wraiths. These wraiths then try to correct the imbalance on their own by killing any living creature they come across. No one's entirely certain why sunlight weakens the wraiths, but some scholars claim that it's because sunlight is the ultimate source of all life."

"Why do you know so much about dark magic, Morgan?" Severa interrupted sharply.

"I grew up in a library, remember?" Morgan replied evasively.

"Morgan, why haven't Severa and I heard about these wraith things before?" Owain asked, before Severa could derail the conversation any further.

"Because the only people in Ylisse who've practiced dark magic recently were the Grimleal," Morgan replied. "The Grimleal would actually perform rituals solely to generate Necrotic Residue, but instead of letting it form into wraiths, they'd channel it to the Fell Dragon, who'd use it to create Risen instead. The wraiths can't be controlled, see?"

At the mention of the undead creatures the Grimleal had commanded, Severa fell silent, and a shiver ran down her spine. She glanced at her husband, and saw at once that he had suffered the exact same reaction; they both had far too many memories of the wretched monstrosities.

"Now, the problem is," Morgan continued, taking no note of her sister's reaction. "When Necrotic Wraiths are destroyed, the imbalance dissipates… but according to Hel, the Nightmares always come back."

"Then maybe our Nightmares aren't what you think they are," Bayn reasoned quietly.

"Or there are people in Monolith who still use magic, despite it being outlawed," Helios said grimly, understanding what Morgan was getting at.

Morgan nodded. "Not just any magic, either. Dark magic, and extremely powerful dark magic at that," she guessed. "I've read a few stories about Necrotic Wraiths being created on accident, but never more than a handful of them at once, and certainly not as many as the horde that attacked Aquila's Ascent when the Sun Spire was destroyed."

At the mention of Aquila's Ascent, Helios grew angry, and rounded upon Bayn. "Forget the Nightmares, or wraiths, or whatever they are," he growled. "They're not the ones lurking within our walls, hiding among us with their daggers held at our backs. Tell me, Bayn. Why did your people destroy the Sun Spire in Aquila's Ascent?"

"I don't know," Bayn answered reluctantly.

"You don't know?" Helios echoed incredulously.

"They weren't supposed to destroy it," Bayn explained hastily. "Our purpose isn't to destroy, Helios. Not the Solcryst, not the Sun Spires, and certainly not the only home any of us have ever known."

"Then what _is_ your purpose?" Morgan prompted curiously. "Who are you, really, if you aren't who the Sun Guard claims you are?"

"We call ourselves the Seekers," Bayn explained. "Our order is comprised of those who wish to follow in the footsteps of Icarus, the Deicide."

"Deicide?" Severa asked, frowning.

"One who killed a god," Morgan translated.

"You mean to tell me you and yours follow the man who nearly destroyed Monolith?" Helios interrupted, staring at Bayn incredulously.

Bayn nodded stiffly. "We embrace the legacy of the man who allegedly slew a god, dooming the Monolith that was… the same man who forged the Solcryst, creating the Monolith that is," he said. "The Deicide is a symbol of both man's triumphs and failures."

"So, what? You're hoping to destroy everything we have, only to build it all anew?" Helios asked, unable to contain his disgust.

"Of course not!" Ferus interrupted indignantly.

"The legend of the Deicide teaches us two equally important lessons," Trance tried to explain. "Firstly, that the improper use of magic could devastate our lives. Secondly, that the proper use of magic could very well be our only salvation."

"Our people have forgotten the second lesson in favor of the first," Bayn added. "The magic of the Solcryst and the Sun Spires is the only thing sustaining our lives now, yet the High Council and the Sun Guard have forbidden all use of magic… even the study of magic! We are so afraid of the power that once nearly destroyed us that we've accepted our current existence, a pale imitation of what we once had."

"Are they so wrong to be afraid?" Helios countered. He glanced at Morgan. "The Nightmares come from magic, too, right? Even if magic could make our lives better, the Nightmares are living proof that magic could just as easily make matters worse."

"That's just it, Hel. Don't you see?" Morgan interrupted. "I only recognized the wraiths because I've been studying magic for all my life. How could you or anyone else in Monolith have recognized them?"

"We wouldn't have," Helios admitted. "But unless knowing what they are helps us get rid of them, it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Doesn't it?" Morgan challenged. "Somewhere out there, someone is using magic. A lot of people, probably, to have created all the wraiths you've been fighting over the years. They're the ones responsible for all the people who've died battling the wraiths. They're the ones responsible for the massacre in Aquila's Ascent after the Sun Spire was destroyed. They're responsible for all of that, and you didn't even know they existed!"

Helios fell silent, pondering Morgan's words.

But the young tactician wasn't finished. She reached into her pouch, extracting a scroll of parchment bound by a thick crimson string.

"You stole one of the Sun Guard's records?" Ferus exclaimed, aghast.

Ignoring Ferus, Morgan held out the scroll to Helios. "This is your record, Hel," she said. "The Sun Guard has been keeping tabs on every one of their soldiers. Red symbolizes a tie to the people they've branded Nihilists. Go on. See what the Sun Guard thinks of you."

Helios accepted the scroll warily and carefully unfurled it. As he read on, his face grew steadily stonier.

"I'm sorry, Hel," Morgan apologized gently. "You were never going to earn a promotion. The Sun Guard doesn't trust you. It's not actual nihilists that they're scared of; they're afraid of people like you, who think for themselves and question what they're told."

Helios cast the scroll aside, and his face became entirely inscrutable.

"You told me once that you thought some of the people here in Monolith wouldn't want things to change," Morgan continued. "That's exactly what's happening here. The Sun Guard is happy with the way things are. They know there's a chance life could be made better, but they don't want to take that chance. When they see people like you, who aren't satisfied with their lives, they brand them Nihilists. They can only think of the countless ways Monolith could be made worse, so they claim these people are trying to destroy everything."

Helios looked at Bayn, Trance, and Ferus, noticing the same, somber look on all three of their faces. He swallowed and averted his gaze, staring studiously at the wall.

"Are they right, Hel?" Morgan prodded. "I know you aren't happy with how things are here in Monolith, but if the risk is too great, if you'd rather keep living out your life the way the Sun Guard wants you to… you've been a good friend to me, Hel, and if you don't want things to change, there's nothing more for me here. Severa, Owain, and I can return to our homes, and you can go back to your own life. The Seekers – or the Nihilists, depending on who you ask – can go back to accomplishing nothing while the Sun Guard watches their every move."

"What do you mean nothing?" Ferus bristled angrily.

"What have you achieved, then, beyond accidentally destroying the Sun Spire in Aquila's Ascent?" Morgan asked.

Bayn winced, stung by the painful reminder. "I don't think that was us," he said in a small voice, though he sounded uncertain.

"We waylaid nine of your men on their way to the Sun Spire, minutes before it was destroyed," Helios said testily. "We heard fighting at the base of the Sun Spire, too, and we were on our way to join in the fighting. Do you expect us to believe that someone else attacked the Sun Spire at the same time?"

"I don't know what to believe," Bayn admitted. "We were trying to capture the Sun Spire in order to study it. There aren't any records in Sol Sanctus relating to the creation of the Sun Spires, nor any explanation of how they work. We were hoping to determine if more Sun Spires could be created, spanning the wilderness between the Reaches and Sol Hearth, perhaps, or surrounding the Reaches to keep the Nightmares at bay. The Sun Guard's presence was weakest in Aquila, so we snuck nearly three score of our allies into the city. None of them returned to Sol Hearth alive, so we have no idea what happened that night."

"Ferus told us that the rest of the survivor's from Aquila's Ascent returned a short while ago," Morgan interrupted. "Were there any members of the Sun Guard among them?"

"They were all Sun Guard," Bayn said, shaking his head. "The moment the city went dark, they turned tail and fled, leaving their people behind. None of them were anywhere near the Sun Spire, though."

"Then Morgan's right," Helios reasoned. "You haven't managed to do anything besides getting countless people killed."

Bayn sank back in his seat and seemed to deflate. "You could say that," he conceded tiredly.

"Then what's the point of telling me all of this?" Helios asked, growing angry. "I already knew our world was a mess, even without knowing all of the details. That's why I joined the Sun Guard, after all… but that's all behind us now. I don't know what can be done, and from the sounds of it, neither do you, so what do you want from me?"

"We lost nearly a third of our order in Aquila," Bayn said. "If another opportunity to do something arises in the near future, we'll need as much support as we can find. I thought there was something different about you when we met this morning, so I sent Trance and Ferus here to find your record…"

"The record that _someone_ told us we wouldn't be able to find," Ferus interrupted, glaring at Morgan.

"Well, you wouldn't have, since I already took it," Morgan retorted.

"… hoping to learn more about you, and to see whether you'd be interested in our cause," Bayn finished, ignoring the bickering. "Your friend here assured me that you'd listen."

"And he's listening, isn't he?" Morgan pointed out brightly.

"I've been listening," Helios said. "And what I haven't heard is an actual plan. Say you find your new followers. What then? Are you going to try to capture another of the Reaches, only for one of your people to accidentally destroy another Sun Spire, dooming another thousand lives?"

"Probably not," Bayn said. "I don't know what's in store for us, Helios. I can only promise you that, no matter which course we ultimately choose, we will do so with Monolith's best interests in mind. All I wish to know is whether you're interested in helping us. If not, you're welcome to walk away. None of us will speak of this meeting ever again.

"And what if I am interested?" Helios asked noncommittally, after a brief pause.

"Then, when we eventually come to some sort of plan, I will seek you out and tell you when and how you can help," Bayn said. "You will still be welcome to turn us away then, if you choose."

"Or," Morgan interrupted cheerfully, pulling another scroll of parchment from her pouch. "If neither of you know what to do, you could both help me with my idea instead."

"What's that supposed to be?" Ferus asked suspiciously, gesturing at the parchment.

"This is a map of Monolith that I found inside Sol Sanctus," Morgan explained, unfurling the scroll and holding it up for everyone to see.

"You could have found the same map in the library," Helios commented dryly. "What's the point?"

"Do you two see the problem with it?" Morgan asked, turning and presenting it to Severa and Owain.

At first, Severa saw only an ordinary map. The borders were unevenly drawn into a rough, oblong shape, and slightly off-center towards the northeast side of the map was a large dot representing Sol Hearth. The six Reaches were evenly spaced around it, each precisely the same distance from the Solcryst.

"Monolith is pretty small," Owain noted aloud.

"Well, of course it is. We're limited by the range of the Solcryst," Bayn pointed out.

Upon hearing Bayn's remark, Severa understood what Morgan was getting at. "Monolith's border doesn't make any sense," she said flatly.

"Exactly," Morgan agreed, turning to show the map to the others. "Why does Monolith have an irregular border like this? Why isn't the map simply a circle with Sol Hearth at the center and the Reaches at the border?"

"Monolith has always been drawn that way," Trance said, not seeing the point.

"It could be Monolith's borders from a time before the Solcryst," Helios suggested. "We may have kept our country's old borders for our new maps. So what?"

"So, what lies beyond these borders?" Morgan asked. "This part of your world found a way to survive without the sun, but what about the rest? As Owain pointed out, Monolith is tiny. Even if we go by your old borders, your entire country could fit five times over in Ylisse."

"Ylisse?" Bayn and Helios asked together.

"Never mind," Morgan said hastily. "My point is, you have no idea what lies beyond Monolith's borders, or even what's happening in the rest of Monolith beyond the reach of the Solcryst."

"Of course not," Ferus said irritably. "The Nightmares would slaughter us if we strayed from the Solcryst's light."

Suddenly, Helios caught on as well. "Only because someone out there is practicing magic," he realized aloud. "And since neither the Sun Guard nor your order knew about this…"

"Whoever's creating the wraiths is probably not within reach of the Solcryst," Morgan guessed. "Maybe they're somewhere else in Monolith, or maybe one of you neighboring countries survived and they've found their own solution to the darkness that's somehow responsible for creating all of these wraiths."

"But how does that help us?" Bayn asked. "No one knows what's out there because we can't venture out there."

"Sure we can," Morgan insisted. "Severa, Owain, and I were wandering around in the darkness before, and then again with Hel when we came here to Sol Hearth. The three of us can probably make it to the border all by ourselves, but if you Seekers send some of your best fighters to help us, it'll make it even easier."

"That's your plan?" Ferus asked, dumbfounded. "You want us to wander beyond the Solcryst's reach just to see if there's anything beyond our country's old borders?"

"Is it really any worse than trying to capture a magical artifact to study when none of you know anything about magic?" Morgan shot back.

The three Seekers stared at Morgan silently for a time.

Bayn finally gave in. "You're a clever one, lass," he conceded. "Alright. You win. I don't know how I'd even begin to explain this to the others, especially when I still have no idea where you come from or who you really are, but I'll see if there's anyone who'll go along with you three."

"Four," Helios corrected immediately. "You can count me in, Morgan."

Morgan smiled, her face shining with relief.

"But," Helios went on tentatively. "In return, I'd like to ask a favor of you."

"Name it," Morgan prompted.

"If this plan of yours doesn't work out," Helios said. "If we head out there and don't find anything useful, and we can't come up with any better ideas, there won't be much of a future left for me here. If that happens…"

"Then we'll take you with us when we return to our own world," Morgan offered, catching on quickly. "Crescent, too, if you can convince her to come with us."

Helios's expression flickered briefly at the mention of Crescent. "Well, that would be a slightly awkward conversation," he chuckled, hiding his discomfort.

Severa only shook her head in exasperation.

"So, the four of us, then, unless Bayn can convince some of his Seekers to come along," Helios said.

"Five, if you'll have me," Trance offered unexpectedly.

"Brother! You can't be serious!" Ferus protested.

"Oh, I am," Trance assured his brother. "I don't know how well Captain Bayn can explain this to the others, and I'm not sure how much our new friends would want him to share, anyways, but I've already heard enough. If there's a chance of this working out, that's good enough for me."

"There you go then," Bayn said, nodding at Morgan. "Trance is one of our best, and one of the few the Sun Guard hasn't noticed yet. Take good care of him for me, you hear?"

"That's my job," Ferus interrupted, though he still sounded annoyed. "If Trance is going, so am I."

"The six of us, then," Morgan declared happily. "Once we find a way out of Sol Hearth, we'll be all set."

"I can take care of that for you," Bayn offered. "Judging from your map, Leo's Rest is closest to the border. There's a caravan headed for Leo's Rest soon. You can join the caravan until you arrive at the Reaches. Slipping out of the city should prove easy enough."

"Great," Morgan agreed enthusiastically, and before long, the rest of the details relating to their planned expedition had been settled. The seven of them emerged from the hideout together, and after bidding Helios and the three Seekers farewell, Morgan, Severa, and Owain began making their way back towards the inn.


	11. Chapter 9: Yuelle

**~ Chapter 9 ~**

 **Yuelle**

Just before dawn, on the morning they had planned to leave Sol Hearth, Morgan strode into Marian's house. Severa and Owain were both already awake, and were seated at the dining table with their daughter sitting between them. Though the little girl had been well cared for in her parent's absence, she was clearly glad to have them back.

"Good morning," Morgan sang, skipping over and squeezing herself between Severa and Ophelia. "Hello, Ophelia!" she added brightly.

Ophelia giggled softly and reached one tiny hand upwards, which Morgan softly wrapped her own hand around.

"Are we leaving soon, Morgan?" Severa asked.

"About that…" Morgan began tentatively. "I thought of something last night. The Sun Guard doesn't seem to pay much attention to civilians, right?"

"I suppose," Severa said, unsure of what her sister was getting at.

"But they've been watching Hel, and since he showed up in Sol Hearth alone except for the three for us, they must have taken note of us, too," Morgan reasoned.

"Probably," Severa admitted. "Why?"

"I think it'll be safer for you and Owain to wait here until I reach Leo's Rest," Morgan suggested. She tensed up as she spoke, as if anticipating an argument. "We'll be traveling by day, anyways, so there won't be any danger. If I go with Hel and the others alone, the Sun Guard is less likely to notice that Hel's leaving beside the same people he entered Sol Hearth beside."

"Separating our forces is most unwise," Owain disagreed, shaking his head. "We should remain together whenever possible."

"But there won't be any fighting, and even if there is, you two wouldn't have your weapons with you," Morgan argued. "We're traveling beside a caravan, remember? I can keep a spell tome with me and pretend it's a regular book, but there's no way you can keep your sword with you, Owain."

"And me keeping my glaive and bow with me is totally out of the question," Severa added thoughtfully.

"Exactly," Morgan said, trying not to sound too relieved.

"I can use magic, too," Owain interrupted.

"But not as well as Morgan can, and we're not supposed to use magic at all if we can avoid it," Severa said. "Morgan's right, Owain. We won't be of much help to the caravan, but if we go, it's more likely that we'll all be caught."

Morgan and Owain exchanged startled looks. "Umm… are you feeling alright, dear?" Owain asked worriedly.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Severa asked defensively.

"I… uh… right," Morgan said, recovering rather poorly from her surprise. "So, why don't you two just stay here with Ophelia today? I'll return tonight once we reach Leo's Rest, and tomorrow we can all set out from there together."

"Promise me you'll be careful," Severa insisted.

"I promise," Morgan said, her head bobbing cheerfully. "See you two later! You too, Ophelia!" As if she were afraid Severa would change her mind, Morgan scrambled for the door and disappeared from sight.

"Severa, are you _sure_ you're feeling alright?" Owain asked, as soon as Morgan was gone.

Severa nodded slowly, though her gaze remained firmly fixed upon the cabin's door. Even Ophelia seemed to notice that something was wrong, for she began tugging gently at her mother's sleeve.

"I guess we have the day off, then," Owain said bracingly. "It's been a while since we've had an entire day to ourselves, hasn't it? We haven't seen much of Water's Edge yet, either. Why don't we take Ophelia down to the beach later?"

"Sure," Severa agreed. "But before that, I need your help with something."

"Me?" Owain asked, surprised.

"Yes, you," Severa said, pouting slightly. "Why? Don't you want to help?"

Owain shook his head quickly. "Of course I do. What might I do for you, dearest?" he offered soothingly.

"Do you remember the spell you placed on me a couple of years ago, just after we were reunited?" Severa asked. "The same spell I later tried to place on you?"

Remembering the incident as clearly as if it were yesterday, Owain smiled wistfully. That one spell had changed his life more than he had expected, or even thought possible. "Of course. How could I forget such an enchanting rite?"

"Good," Severa said, a sly smile crossing her lips. "In that case, do you think you could show me how to cast it properly?"

* * *

Upon returning to the streets of Sol Hearth, Morgan made her way across the city towards the Golden Dagger. Though the Solcryst had only just begun casting its light outward, the tavern was already quite crowded, and the small tactician spent nearly five minutes weaving between the other patrons before finally spotting her friends.

"Good morning," Morgan said, dropping into the seat beside Helios, across from Bayn, Trance, and Ferus.

"Morning, lass," Bayn greeted gruffly.

"Where's Severa and Owain?" Helios asked.

"They'll catch up to us in Leo's Rest," Morgan said. "We thought it would be easier to slip out of Sol Hearth unnoticed if it didn't look like you were leaving alongside the same three people you came here with, Hel."

"How are they going to catch up to us?" Trance asked curiously. "Our caravan is the only one leaving for Sol Hearth this week."

"You'll see," Morgan said evasively. "So, when are we leaving?"

"Your caravan is schedule to depart in an hour," Bayn said. "I have your papers here. I just need the name you'll be traveling under."

"Let's keep using Cynthia," Morgan decided. "That way, if anyone checks it against the records you made when I first arrived, they'll think it's someone different leaving."

"And if the Sun Guard checks it against the rest of our records, they'll find out there was never a Cynthia in the city to begin with," Ferus pointed out dryly.

"Oh. Think they'll check?" Morgan asked.

"Not likely, and our records of civilians are far from complete, anyways," Bayn said. He spread a piece of parchment across the table and scrawled down a few notes, then furled it back up and handed it to Morgan. "Cynthia it is. Give this to the border guard on your way out of the city. Oh, and keep your weapons out of sight."

"Yep," Morgan said, shifting slightly in her chair to show the others that she was no longer carrying her sword.

"Don't worry. We'll keep you safe while we're on the road," Trance promised.

Helios flashed Morgan a conspiratorial smile, for he recognized the book Morgan had brought with her, and knew that if they were to run into serious trouble, the seemingly defenseless girl wouldn't need much protecting.

"Umm… are we expecting any trouble?" Morgan asked, frowning.

"We'll probably have to deal with a few Nightmares on the way," Ferus said nonchalantly. "Wraiths, I mean."

"We can keep calling them Nightmares," Morgan said. "But I thought we were planning to reach Leo's Rest long before dark."

"We are, but the Nightmares are still out there during the day," Helios explained. "They're much weaker, and very easy to spot, but we'll still likely run into a few."

"We'll be fine. Don't worry!" Trance said reassuringly.

"It's not the Nightmares I'm worried about," Morgan said, laughing uneasily. "Hey, if my sister asks about our trip later, tell her we didn't run into any trouble, okay? I don't think she would have agreed to this plan if she knew we were expecting to run into any Nightmares…"

"I was just beginning to think that nothing could scare you, too," Helios remarked lightly.

* * *

The first stage of their plan went off without a hitch. Though neither Trance nor Ferus came even close to matching Helios's skill in battle, they easily held their own against the weakened Nightmares that dared to approach the caravan. The Solcryst was still shining brightly as the long procession of carts rolled into Leo's Rest late that afternoon.

Once they reached the inn, Morgan retreated alone to her room, and from there, back to Water's Edge. After hearing about Severa and Owain's equally uneventful day, and – at Marian's insistence – a shared meal, she retired to her cabin for the night.

A few hours later, her cabin door softly creaked open. Severa quietly removed her boots, then gently padded her way across the wooden floor to stand by her sleeping sister's side. She took a deep breath, then held up a handful of smoldering, scented herbs.

A strange clicking noise broke the silence. Severa gasped and spun around in surprise, nearly dropping the herbs Owain had given her.

The jeweled butterfly resting atop of Morgan's desk clicked her wings together again.

"Oh, it's just you," Severa said, relaxing when she saw Ellie.

Ellie quivered momentarily, then floated up, flying over to Severa. She began circling Severa eerily, as if threatening to wake Morgan.

"Hey, wait! Don't wake her!" Severa protested softly, glancing down to make sure her sister remained soundly asleep.

Though Ellie neither slowed nor changed her course, Severa somehow found herself with a distinct impression that the little jeweled butterfly was still suspicious of her.

Severa held up the herbs innocently. "It's just a simple spell to create pleasant dreams," she explained, trying her best to sound sincere. In truth, she had no idea what dreams she was about to inspire; Owain had adjusted the spell to compel Morgan to dream of her friends. Severa could only hope that such dreams would convince Morgan to open up a bit more about her life back in Ylisse.

Ellie lingered by Severa's side for a moment longer, then turned and glided back towards the desk.

Severa breathed out a long sigh of relief. She then held out the herbs once more and began whispering the words Owain had taught her, flinching when some of the ashes drifted downward, scattering upon Morgan's blanket.

"Sweet dreams," Severa whispered, and this time, she truly meant it. She considered wiping away the ashes, but decided it wasn't worth the risk and turned to leave instead. "Thanks, Ellie," she added offhandedly, glancing at Morgan's desk.

Then Severa froze. Lying beside Ellie was what looked like a normal, handheld mirror.

Severa stood perfectly still, lost in her thoughts, as she remembered the first time she had seen – and used – that particular magical device.

"Have you been in touch with Dad this whole time?" Severa whispered wonderingly, as she moved closer to the desk to examine the mirror.

Then Severa remembered Morgan's flippant remark about talking to herself, and the truth hit her. Back when she and Owain left Ylisse, the older Morgan had just begun spending more of her time away from Ylisstol. Their father must have given one of the mirrors from his remaining set to her soon after.

The younger Morgan hadn't left her entire family behind, after all.

Severa stiffened when she heard blankets rustling behind her, but thankfully, Morgan was only rolling over in her sleep. Deciding it best not to press her luck, Severa left the mirror alone and snuck back out of the cabin. As she made her way back to Marian's home and the room she shared with Owain and Ophelia, her thoughts continued to spin…

* * *

 _Though the clear skies above shone with a beautiful, cerulean luster, the menacingly formidable architecture carried the same, powerful atmosphere as it had a few months ago beneath a dark veil of unyielding storm clouds. The thick walls of roughly cut stone looked as cold as they were sturdy, and the torches weren't nearly bright enough to outshine the castle's grim decorations. The luxurious carpets were pleasantly soft, but shone a bloody, scarlet hue under the dim lighting._

 _And yet, no matter how cold and heartless the castle appeared, Severa knew she would miss it. As she made her way down one of the eerily wide hallways, she smiled wistfully, remembering all the warm memories she had shared with the castle's residents. It was almost enough for her to reconsider her course._

 _That thought stole the smile from Severa's face, and she pressed on determinedly, knowing that the time had come. A few minutes later, she reached the part of the castle where the royal retainers were quartered, and found the man she had been searching for._

 _"Hello, Laslow," Severa greeted._

 _The grey-haired man sitting upon the bed looked up at the sound of his name. He smiled, though it wasn't his usual playful and flirting look. Instead, it was a bittersweet smile, and Severa knew then that her old friend already understood why she was there._

 _"Hello, Selena," the grey-haired man greeted calmly._

 _Severa turned and closed the door behind her, before seating herself beside her old friend. "It's time, Laslow… I mean… Inigo," she said. "The war's over. We've done everything we set out to do."_

 _"Have you decided where you're headed?" Inigo asked, and his choice of pronoun did not escape Severa's notice._

 _"I've talked about it with Owain, but we wanted to hear your thoughts, too," Severa said carefully._

 _"I've been thinking, it doesn't really matter where we belong, does it?" Inigo said. "Even if there were any rules about this sort of thing, we must have broken them all into millions of pieces by now. In the end, it's a choice between a world of memories and a world of family and friends. It seems like an easy choice to make."_

 _"That's what we thought, too," Severa agreed. "They are our families, after all, even if they're… not."_

 _Inigo fell silent._

 _Severa stared for some time, swallowing uncomfortably as she understood. "You're not coming with us," she said in a pleading manner, as if begging for her friend to correct her._

 _"I can't," Inigo said, bowing his head._

 _"We promised," Severa reminded, and she felt her eyes grow moist with unshed tears. "When we came here, we promised we'd make it through together, and that we'd all go home together, no matter where that home is."_

 _"But I am home, Severa," Inigo said quietly. "I can't leave her. This is my place now. My friends are here. My family is here. I can't leave them for the sake of memories, be they memories of what I had or dreams of what could have been."_

 _"You can take her with us," Severa insisted, though her voice faltered, for she knew it wasn't true._

 _"Please don't cry, Severa," Inigo said soothingly. "Not for me. I'm happy here, and even though I'll dearly miss you and Owain both, I can't leave any more than you two can stay."_

 _"You idiot," Severa mumbled, tears streaming down her face. "You're just making this harder. Why can't you just say something stupid like you always do?" she complained._

 _Inigo chuckled. "Sorry, but it feels weird now that we're both married," he apologized._

 _"Are you sure about this?" Severa asked in a small voice._

 _"Surer than I've ever been about anything," Inigo said._

 _"But once we leave…" Severa began._

 _"I'll be stuck here for good. I know," Inigo assured her. "I've thought this through, Severa. I made my decision even before the war ended, and I've been waiting for this moment ever since. Dreading it, really, but I could tell you and Owain weren't content in staying here."_

 _Severa fell silent. If she had to be honest with herself, she had known the truth, too. She had told herself she was had come to fetch her friend, but deep down, she had known from the beginning that she had actually come to say goodbye. Now her throat felt too dry for her to say anything at all._

 _"Good bye, Severa. I won't forget you. Never that," Inigo promised. "I wish you and Owain both a safe journey home. Tell him to drop by and say goodbye, too, alright?"_

 _Severa opened her mouth to respond, but again, no words came forth._

* * *

Severa suddenly sat upright, stirred from her sleep by Ophelia's soft crying. For once, she did not mind being awoken so suddenly. Shivering, for her nightclothes were drenched in cold sweat, she pulled herself out of Owain's arms and stepped quietly to Ophelia's side.

Ophelia, upon feeling her mother's gentle, reassuring touch, promptly fell asleep once more.

Severa glanced at her bed, but she could not bring herself to lie back down. She was too busy being angry at how, after spending an entire morning preparing her spell, she had apparently accidentally cast it upon herself instead of Morgan. "Neither Morgan could have screwed up this badly," she mumbled disappointedly. "Nor could Mom or Dad. Just me." She heaved a deep sigh.

Deciding that she wasn't about to find any further rest, Severa changed into more suitable clothing, then slipped outside for a walk. She wandered through the sleeping village of Water's Edge for a time, before finally seating herself on a simple wooden bench that faced west and offered a clear view of the night's beautiful crescent moon.

And to her surprise, she was almost immediately joined by her younger sister. "Are you alright?" Morgan asked, sounding concerned.

"Morgan? What are you doing awake?" Severa asked.

Morgan reached one hand into her robe's collar, and produced a strange talisman hanging from a delicate silver chain. "Ellie woke me. She said you were trying to place some sort of charm on me, but this talisman I'm wearing reflects charms and curses."

Severa stared at her younger sister in disbelief. Then her face went red with both embarrassment and anger. "So that's why she didn't try to stop me," she fumed.

"Sorry. I should've warned you," Morgan giggled. "So, what kind of charm was it? Ellie said you said something about giving me good dreams, but you're out here instead of sleeping, so that doesn't seem right."

"Aren't you angry?" Severa asked, taken aback by Morgan's lighthearted reaction.

"You wouldn't be asking that if you knew how many charms I've placed on the other Severa," Morgan said with a mischievous smile.

"What? Why were you casting spells on your sister!?" Severa demanded.

"Mostly because I was bored," Morgan admitted. "And because she pretty much never noticed me otherwise."

"Never noticed you?" Severa frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" Morgan asked, tilting her head curiously. "Severa and Lucina are basically inseparable. Anyone would think they were real sisters. Severa barely talked to me at all, except when I accidentally messed up her stuff. She yelled at me for like an hour when she found me building a castle out of her books. I always thought you and the older Lucina had been the same way."

Severa frowned. "Lucy and I were close, but not _that_ close," she protested. "And I never ignored Morgan. She was pretty much all I…" Her voice trailed off as she thought back to her own childhood.

"Maybe that's the difference," Morgan shrugged. "You and Morgan only had each other. Maybe that's all that was keeping you together."

"That's not all," Severa tried to protest. "She's my sister! And so are you!"

Morgan shrugged again. "That never seemed to matter much to Severa," she said distantly, looking off towards the moon. "I wonder if she's realized I've left yet."

"Don't say that," Severa said, shaking her head. "She must have noticed. She couldn't have just forgotten about you!"

"Why not? She never cared about me when I was there," Morgan said, and the way she didn't seem to care at all hurt Severa more than she had thought was possible.

"Is… is that why you left?" Severa asked hesitantly.

Morgan glanced at her in surprise.

"That's what my spell was for," Severa admitted. "I wanted you to dream of everyone you left behind. I thought… if I could make you think about them, you'd be more willing to tell me why you ran away."

"I didn't run away," Morgan said sulkily. "There were things I had to do, so I went to do them, figuring that no one…"

"That no one would miss you?" Severa accused. "Do you really believe that, Morgan?"

"That no one needed me there," Morgan corrected.

Severa flinched. "H-how could you say that?" she whispered.

"Because it's true," Morgan insisted stubbornly. "There's nothing for me in Ylisstol, and hasn't been ever since…" Her voice died suddenly, and she seemed to catch herself only just in time.

"Since what?" Severa prompted.

"It's a long story," Morgan said, shaking her head.

"Tell me," Severa insisted.

"Why? You'll only get angry with me, too," Morgan said, looking away.

"I won't be angry," Severa promised. "Please, Morgan. Just tell me."

Morgan heaved a deep sigh, and suddenly, she seemed so tiny. For once, she looked like the thirteen-year-old girl she was, rather than the ever-confident, carefree world traveler. "Promise," she pleaded in a small voice. "Promise you won't be angry…"

"I promise," Severa nodded.

Morgan stared at her older sister for nearly a full minute, as if trying to decide whether she could believe Severa's words. Then, finally, she nodded. "About a year before I left Ylisstol, a wealthy merchant family had a small mansion built for them just down the street from Dad's library. They had only one child, a daughter named Yuelle. Yuelle was Severa's age, about a year older than me. We met when her father came by the library to introduce himself to Dad. Yuelle liked to read, too, so we became fast friends.

"At first, Yuelle and I just played together in the library. Yuelle's father came by a lot to talk to Dad. One day, Uncle Chrom was visiting, so Severa and Lucina were there, too. After Yuelle's father met Uncle Chrom, he invited all of us to go over to his house to play. Me, Severa, Lucina, even Cynthia and Owain. We began visiting Yuelle and her family at their mansion almost every week. Still, Severa and Lucina would play their own games, with Cynthia trying to squeeze herself into them. Sometimes Owain would tag along with them, sometimes he'd find a quiet spot to play by himself. Either way, Yuelle and I were usually on our own," Morgan said.

Severa felt a twinge of guilt then, for despite her earlier claims, she and the older Lucina had indeed been very close, and she couldn't help but wonder if she had ever made the other Morgan feel ignored or unwanted.

"Yuelle's mother was very nice, but also sort of timid," Morgan went on. "I liked her, but it always felt like she was afraid of something, like a stray dog who's been yelled at too many times. She'd make all sorts of treats for us when we visited. Yuelle and I would help her out whenever we could, and even when we made mistakes, she would never get mad at us." Then Morgan's expression darkened. "Yuelle's father was… weird. He was nice to us, too, but he was very formal and polite, and he often seemed stiff. Still, he doted on us a lot, especially Lucina and Cynthia, and whenever he saw Owain reading or playing alone, he'd urge Yuelle and I to play with him."

"He doesn't sound too bad," Severa commented, not quite understanding where Morgan's story was going.

"He wasn't," Morgan conceded. "He could be a little awkward, but I didn't mind that. No, what bothered me was, Yuelle always seemed scared of her father. Yuelle would barely talk when her father was near; her father would kiss her goodbye before leaving, and she would only nod and try to smile. She refused to talk to me about her father, too."

"That _is_ weird," Severa admitted.

"I asked Dad about it," Morgan said. "He told me that Yuelle's father was a busy man, and that not all fathers were close to their daughters. After that, I didn't really think too much about it… until one day, Yuelle's father offered to take us all shopping. Yuelle and I didn't really want to go, but Lucina did, so that was that. We spent most of the day browsing the market, and Yuelle's father bought Severa, Lucina, Cynthia, and Owain pretty much anything they wanted."

"That's pretty generous of him. What about you and Yuelle?"

"I didn't really want anything," Morgan shrugged. "Neither did Yuelle at first. Then we met an old silversmith, and he had this one trinket that Yuelle really liked. We spent nearly twenty minutes looking at it before I finally convinced Yuelle to ask her father for it. Her father said no, though. He insisted that it would be a waste of money. We went home not long after."

"Waste of money?" Severa frowned. "Was it that expensive?"

"Not really," Morgan said. "It was only a hundred gold. He had already spent more than fifty times that buying clothes, jewelry, and perfumes for Lucina and Severa. I knew better than to argue, though. Instead, I asked Dad if I could work for him in his workshop for a while. He agreed, so I spent the next week helping him organize his equipment and everything else, then went back to the silversmith myself. Then I went to give it to Yuelle and…" Morgan paused, swallowing uncomfortably.

"And?" Severa prompted impatiently.

"Yuelle was gone," Morgan said simply.

Severa's jaw dropped.

"The older Lucina and her Shepherds were already there. Robbers broke into the mansion during the night, they said. Yuelle must have woken up, and the robbers killed her while making their escape. Clubbed her to death with their bare hands," Morgan explained.

"Right in the middle of Ylisstol?" Severa exclaimed in disbelief.

Morgan nodded stiffly. "Uncle Chrom offered to hold Yuelle's funeral in Castle Ylisse. It was terrible, and the worst part of it was seeing Yuelle's father."

"He didn't care," Severa guessed disdainfully.

"Oh, he cared," Morgan said coldly. "He looked like a complete mess. He couldn't stop crying, couldn't finish his sentences, and showed more emotion that day than any of us had ever seen from him before. It was sickening."

"Sickening?"

"Because it was all an act," Morgan said, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. "Everyone else believed him, but I didn't. I told Dad, but he insisted I was just imagining things, and no one else would listen to me either. Finally, I went to Henry for help."

"Whoa, wait. Henry? The Plegian dark mage?" Severa interrupted.

"Yeah," Morgan said. "He's always liked me, even though we didn't see each other too often since he lives so far away. He was visiting Ylisstol to deliver some of the Grimleal artifacts he had found to Dad. I went to Henry and told him everything, and he agreed to help. He taught me that when people suffer violent and premature deaths, their spirits often linger behind for a time. We went and searched for Yuelle's spirit. We found her, and Henry helped me bind Yuelle to the trinket I had bought for her, the little silver butterfly that she spent so long staring at that day at the market."

"A silver butterfly," Severa whispered. "So, Ellie…"

"Is my nickname for her, yes," Morgan said. Her eyes began to glisten for a moment, but she closed them tightly, as if she was determined to finish her story without crying. "Ellie couldn't talk anymore, but after a little practice, she figured out how to write. Then she told us the truth. There were no robbers that night."

"No robbers," Severa echoed feebly.

"It was her father," Morgan said, trembling. "Ellie's father had made his fortune while helping Plegia rebuild. He wanted to use his wealth to become a noble, which is why he moved his family to Ylisstol. That's why he always doted on Lucina and Cynthia, and why he kept pushing Ellie to make friends with Owain. Uncle Chrom and Dad weren't paying him much attention, though, so he'd get frustrated, then drink a lot. He'd beat Ellie's mom. Then he'd blame Ellie for none of us his plans working, and beat her, too. He went too far that night, and when he realized what had happened, he hired people to break into his home and move some of his goods to a hidden stash across the city."

"That's… that's awful," Severa whispered.

"Henry and I brought Ellie and her story to the Shepherds," Morgan went on shakily. "Then Ellie led us to her father's stash, and when we brought everything to Uncle Chrom and Dad, they arrested Ellie's father and locked him away. Then… Dad said we had to destroy Ellie."

"He said _what!_?" Severa exclaimed disbelievingly.

"He said it was wrong for us to keep Ellie with us, and that we had to let her rest," Morgan said bitterly. "Ellie didn't want to go, but Dad said it didn't matter what Ellie wanted. He said it wasn't right for us to keep using dark magic. He insisted it wasn't safe, even though Henry and I had already taken care of the wraith we had accidentally spawned. I knew Dad wouldn't listen to me, but I couldn't let him hurt Ellie, either. I set Ellie free, and then Dad grew… distant. Whenever I tried to talk to him, he seemed uncomfortable. He never tried to talk to me anymore, and everything he said seemed automatic and… and empty. When I tried to apologize, he'd just change the subject."

"Oh, Morgan…" Severa whispered, her own eyes filling with tears now, too.

"Morgan had moved to Azure Pyre years ago. Dad was angry with me. Mom seemed lost, and didn't know what to say. Severa had already forgotten all about Yuelle," Morgan went on, her voice faltering. She took a deep, ragged breath, and then another. "So I decided to leave," she said, regaining her composure. "I had no reason to stay, anyways. I went and found Ellie. We broke into Dad's workshop for some supplies, and I left him a note to apologize and to promise I'd pay him back one day. Then we left."

For a moment, Severa said nothing, and could only sit perfectly still, feeling overwhelmed. Then she suddenly leaned forward, pulling her youngest sister into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry, Morgan," she whispered tearfully.

"Whoa! Sis!" Morgan protested. "What's gotten into you?"

Severa began laughing and crying at once, for she could remember the other Morgan saying almost exactly the same words to her once. "I'm a terrible sister," she mumbled.

"Umm… how so?" Morgan asked, puzzled.

"I should have been there for you," Severa lamented. "Just before I left, I saw how happy everyone was. I was too wrapped up in how lost I was feeling, and I thought everything would be just fine if I were to leave for a while."

"It's okay," Morgan said with a shrug. "There wasn't much you could've done, anyways."

Severa gingerly pulled herself back to arm's length, and made an exasperated face. "Sure there was," she insisted. "Someone should have been there for you. Someone needed to be there to yell at Dad when he was being an idiot."

"Dad was just being careful," Morgan said, instinctively leaping to her father's defense.

"No, he was being ridiculous," Severa growled. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Morgan? Dad wasn't mad at you. He was afraid."

"Afraid?" Morgan asked blankly. "Afraid of what?"

"Once he realized he was wrong, he was afraid of making things even worse," Severa tried to explain. "He didn't listen to you when you tried to warn him that something wasn't right about Yuelle's father. That cost you your best friend, and since he still wasn't listening, you had to go to Henry for help. Even after that, he still didn't start listening to you until _you_ stopped listening to _him_."

"And that made him mad," Morgan reasoned unhappily.

Severa shook her head insistently. "No, Morgan. That showed him how wrong he was. He's not _that_ stupid. He knows how much he means to you, and you disobeying him showed him his mistake… but he wasn't sure what to do. At that moment, you needed him, and he let you down. He just wasn't sure what to say after that."

Morgan hesitated. "Are… are you sure?" she asked timidly.

"Yes, I'm sure," Severa said patiently. "Let's go and talk with him, Morgan. You'll see that I'm right."

Morgan's gaze turned to the north, and she stared wistfully in the direction of Ylisstol. But after a few minutes, just when Severa dared to hope that she had gotten through to her younger sister, Morgan shook her head. "We can't," Morgan said. "We promised to help Hel and Bayn and the others, remember?"

"This will only take a few minutes," Severa protested.

"But Sis, if you're wrong, and if he really is still…"

"He's _not_ mad at you," Severa insisted.

"If you're right, it'll be even harder for me to leave again," Morgan said listlessly. "You didn't need to put a spell on me, Sis. I dream of it every night… of going back to Ylisstol, of hearing Mom and Dad forgive me for running away, and… and of finally being home. If I do go back now, and all of that happens, or doesn't… either way, I don't know if I… if I can keep going."

Severa mulled that thought over for a few moments, wondering what she should say. Then she realized there was only one answer she could live with. "Okay," she agreed. "We'll finish our work in Monolith first, then. After that, we'll go home together."

"Home," Morgan echoed wistfully, and this time, when Severa moved to hug her again, she simply closed her eyes, relaxing and allowing her sister to hold her tight.

"Yes. Home," Severa promised.


	12. Chapter 10: One Ocean, One Sky

**~ Chapter 10 ~**

 **One Ocean, One Sky**

By the time Owain came awake the following morning, the sun was already approaching its zenith. When he saw how bright it was, he gasped, and immediately set to stirring Severa from her sleep. It proved surprisingly difficult to wake her.

"It'll be fine," Severa reassured him. She yawned loudly, then slowly forced herself upright. "The Solcryst seems to light up and go dark a couple hours after our sunrise and sunset, anyways."

"But the hour grows so late! Morgan should already have come by to rouse us from our slumber," Owain said worriedly. "Could our spell have afflicted her more direly than we intended?"

"No way. I'm sure Morgan's fine," Severa said, looking away furtively.

Nevertheless, the two of them changed quickly and gathered their belongings. Then, after entrusting Ophelia – who remained soundly asleep – to Marian's care once more, the couple made their way across the village only to find that Morgan, too, had overslept.

Unlike Severa, Morgan nearly went into a complete panic. In the space of about thirty seconds, she leapt from her bed, changed, collected her travelling pouch, and rushed through the door. "Come on!" she urged breathlessly. "If we don't hurry, they'll leave without us!"

"I highly doubt that," Severa said dryly, closing the door behind her as she followed Owain back outside. "The others have no idea what they're looking for, remember? Neither do Owain and I, for that matter. Are you planning to let us in on the rest of your plan anytime soon?"

"I have no idea what we're going to find, either," Morgan admitted. "But don't worry. I'll know it when I see it."

"Perfect," Severa groaned.

"Have faith! In the search for knowledge, failure is impossible!" Owain declared.

"What he said," Morgan agreed, and when she skipped on ahead, it was with a new spring in her step.

"Well done. You carried the spell out to perfection," Owain whispered to Severa.

Severa only shook her head and smiled, feeling too embarrassed to admit the truth.

* * *

Before long, Morgan, Severa, and Owain were gathered around the rift in Water's Edge once more, waiting for it to come fully alive. As the minutes slowly crawled by, Morgan's worries began resurfacing, and she began to fidget impatiently.

As they waited for the rift in Water's Edge to come fully alive, Morgan's worries began resurfacing, and she began to fidget impatiently.

"Relax, Morgan," Severa insisted. "Hel and the others aren't going anywhere without us."

"But what if they came searching for me?" Morgan pointed out anxiously. "They would have found my room empty. I didn't bother to mess up my bed or anything. They'll know right away that I didn't spend the night in my room, and then…"

Just then, the rift shimmered and became translucent, revealing three very confused individuals waiting on the other side: Helios, Trance, and Ferus.

"…stand there wondering where I had gone," Morgan finished with a gulp.

"Morgan?" Helios called out nervously, his eyes darting back and forth as he inspected the rift. "What is this… thing? What's going on?"

"You were going to have to show them Water's Edge sooner or later," Severa reminded her sister, relishing the rare sight of Morgan being at a loss for words. "We weren't about to spend our nights camping out in the open with those Nightmare wraith things all around us."

"True," Morgan conceded weakly. Emboldened by that reminder, she took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, then stepped through the rift, readying herself for the inevitable barrage of questions.

* * *

Sneaking out of Leo's Rest proved easy enough; unlike the patrols in Sol Hearth, the guards watching over the gates hardly paid any attention to those entering or leaving the city, for the farmers were constantly traveling to and from their fields. A few of the Sun Guard patrols did occasionally move out to the very edge of the Solcryst's light, but they remained surprisingly lax and inattentive.

"No wonder your fellow Sun Guards drove you crazy," Morgan muttered.

"Half of them wouldn't even noticed a Nightmare crawling up to their side," Helios agreed darkly, though he kept his voice low so that no one else would overhear.

While the farthermost guards were engrossed in their own conversation, Morgan and Helios lead the way, slipping into the darkness and out of sight. Less than half an hour later, Helios spotted a handful of Nightmares swarming towards them, but after that, their journey became surprisingly uneventful. The landscape was much the same as Morgan remembered from her first journey across Monolith's barren wastes, and though they encountered the Nightmares quite frequently at first, the shadowy creatures seemed to become less common as they moved further away from Leo's Rest.

Hours later, Trance finally remarked on the strange phenomenon. "You know, this isn't half as bad as I expected it to be," he began conversationally.

"Don't jinx us," Ferus growled.

"It's odd, though, isn't it?" Trance continued, undeterred. "It's been nearly an hour since the last time we've seen any Nightmares. It's almost like the farther we go, the fewer Nightmares there are. We ran into more of the beasts while…"

"It's not strange," Helios spoke up suddenly, before Trance could mention the numerous enemies they had encountered during Severa's absence the day before. "There's nothing out here really, aside from a few critters. If the Nightmares exist solely to hunt living creatures, there's really no reason for them to linger out here. Right, Morgan?"

"Probably," Morgan agreed with a shrug.

"Probably?" Ferus repeated dubiously.

"Hey, I said they exist in our world, not that they're common," Morgan said defensively. "I've only ever seen one of them before coming here to Monolith."

Suddenly, Owain raised his lantern ring. "Hold!" he warned. "The darkness takes shape before us, beckoning us to our fates!"

Severa raised her own ring, and Trance, who Morgan had lent her ring to, did the same. Just beyond the reach of their light, faint shadows blemished the otherwise even ground.

"What are they?" Helios wondered, drawing closer to the mysterious objects.

Owain, too, gradually advanced until his light began gleaming off the misshapen, wooden surfaces.

Then Morgan's patience ran out, and a fireball went spinning through the darkness, eliciting a chorus of startled cries. One of the wooden objects caught fire immediately, blazing the area in a haunting, golden light.

"What was that?" Ferus asked, a horrified look on his face as he rounded upon the young tactician.

"I… umm… may have been aiming a bit too low," Morgan apologized sheepishly.

"It lit the place up quite nicely, though," Helios remarked, his eyes sweeping the newly illuminated ruin. "Look. It's a village of some sort. Or at least, it looks like it might have been a village at some point."

The old cabin that Morgan had set flame to looked to have been on the verge of collapse, anyways. Two of the walls had already crumbled away, and the remaining two creaked and groaned as the flames spread. The rest of the disused buildings nearby looked to be in a similar state of neglect. The fire continued to spread, igniting the desiccated wood and haphazard heaps of straw until the lifeless village was fully alit with the swirling flames.

"Good thing no one was home," Severa said flippantly, trying and failing to hide her smile.

Then her smile faded, for many of the dancing shadows began detaching themselves from the burning buildings. Within seconds, nearly a score of Nightmares had emerged from the ruins.

Ferus shook his head in dismay. "I told you not to jinx us," he berated his brother.

"I wasn't the one who spontaneously learned to throw fire," Trance protested, glaring at Morgan.

"Speaking of which, you should probably hit them again, Morgan," Helios advised.

"Sure thing," Morgan agreed. She hurled a second fireball into the ruin, catching the nearest Nightmare and reducing it to cinders.

The remaining Nightmares answered with a series of bone chilling howls, then promptly charged.

* * *

Three quick strides brought Helios straight into the incoming swarm. His heart raced with exhilaration as the shadowy menaces closed in all around him, and almost unconsciously, his swords appeared in his hands and began their dizzying, deadly dance. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the light from Trance's lantern ring diminishing and realized that the two Seekers had both instinctively backed away. He smiled grimly, understanding that he no longer needed to fear accidentally striking one of his own allies.

Few of the Sun Guard had proven misfortunate enough to be forced into single combat against a Nightmare, but over the years, Helios had put himself into that exact situation countless times, and with good reason. By now, each of his enemies' subtle movements were comfortably familiar; the veteran Sun Guard had little trouble remaining a step ahead of his attackers, slapping at them repeatedly with his twin blades.

Even with several Nightmares closing in, Helios's confidence steadily grew as he fell deeper and deeper into his carefully rehearsed, rhythmic attack routines. It seemed as if none of his opponents could catch him off guard… at least until he spun to face one of the serpent-like Nightmares, expecting to find it vulnerable. When he found instead the shining point of Sun Guard glaive, mere inches from his face, he let out a startled yelp and scrambled away in alarm.

Across from Helios, Severa wrenched her glaive free from the defeated Nightmare, clamping her eyes tightly shut as she completed her spin. She felt her weapon hit its mark, and her polearm's head sinking deep into a second Nightmare's spongy, unnatural flesh. Both of the Nightmares promptly disintegrated, forcing both Severa and Helios back.

"The darkness cannot hide you forever!" Owain roared.

Severa had fought beside Owain long enough to know what he was up to, and she continued backing away with her eyes closed. Unfortunately, Helios was less familiar with the blond swordsman's antics. He looked up just as Owain beheaded the last of the nearby Nightmares, and promptly caught a face full of black grit.

Upon hearing the telltale, whispery sound of the Nightmare crumbling away, Severa risked opening her eyes, and immediately realized what had happened. More of the Nightmares were already closing in, too, leaving Helios in a very precarious position. "Get back!" she ordered tersely, racing forward and roughly shoving Helios away from the frontline.

Watching from a relatively safe distance, Morgan marveled at Helios's awareness and composure. Even blinded, Helios had noticed Severa's approach, and had very nearly lashed out at her, staying his weapon just in time when he heard the warning. He allowed Severa to push him away without complaint, and managed to maintain his footing as he stumbled away from the melee.

Morgan continued watching for a moment longer, waiting until just after Helios fully recovered and rejoined the battle. This time, the rogue Sun Guard gave Owain a wide berth. Confident Severa, Owain, and Helios would not need her help, Morgan then turned her attention to the other battle raging nearby.

As Morgan had noticed during their previous journey, neither of the two Seekers could match Helios's agility or precision. They clearly lacked the years of fighting experience that Severa and Owain had, too. Regardless, the two of them seemed capable of reading each other's movements as easily as Helios read his enemies'. Trance and Ferus closed in upon each of their foes in tandem, circling carefully to maintain a perfect flank throughout. Every time Trance backed off, luring an enemy to give chase, Ferus was already pressing forward from behind, and every time Ferus moved in for an aggressive killing blow, Trance was already sliding past to cover him.

Again, Morgan held herself back from the fighting, urging herself to be patient. Though she was eager to help, she knew that even a single mistake could easily throw her allies into complete disarray. She was not about to take that risk without good reason.

That reason arrived a split second later when another half a dozen Nightmares extracted themselves from the burning ruins and surged towards the twins, resembling little more than a writhing wall of shadow.

"Ellie!" Morgan called. The silver butterfly reacted immediately, flittering out of the young tactician's hood and landing on the back of her hand. Morgan punched her arm forward, propelling Yuelle towards her incoming foes, then reached for her sword.

Yuelle recovered her balance immediately, before pinpointing the nearest Nightmare's head and swerving slightly to the right. Her jeweled wings glittered in the darkness, marking her path clearly for Morgan to follow.

Using her best friend to sight her attack, Morgan swiped Alondite through the air. A wave of energy soared neatly over Trance's head and past Yuelle before neatly decapitating one of the large, humanoid Nightmares.

The remaining five Nightmares proved easily distracted, turning to swipe at Yuelle as she flew past. The brutish, unthinking creatures could not hope to catch their fast-flying foe, though, and amidst their distraction, Morgan carefully circled past the twins. She slashed Alondite again, this time in the direction of a towering, avian Nightmare with an oversized beak. A quick fireball finished off the prone Nightmare.

The four remaining Nightmares turned and promptly charged at Morgan instead, closing the remaining distance with alarming speed.

Morgan knew she did not have long to act. Instead of running or attacking, she reached for her pouch instead, extracting a small, sparkling blue gem from her pouch and rolling it across the ground at her approaching attackers. The gemstone flashed once. Twice.

"Freeze!" Morgan commanded forcefully as the gemstone flashed for the third time. Then the gem promptly shattered with a soft, tinkling noise. A howling, freezing wind gushed outward in all directions. Morgan shivered at the chilling touch of her own spell, but her aim proved perfect – the four Nightmares, who had been standing over the gem as it exploded, had been instantaneously frozen solid.

Morgan shrugged away the cold and charged, cutting down three of the Nightmares while keeping her eyes firmly shut. Her spell faded quickly, but Yuelle had already reentered the fray, perching herself atop the last Nightmare's face. The serpentine creature raked its claws wildly at the annoying butterfly, but missed badly, tearing several deep gouges in its own face instead. Then Alondite's gleaming silver edge tore through the Nightmare's chest, and with a ghastly shudder, it went limp.

Yuelle soared gracefully back to Morgan's side, tucking herself back inside the young tactician's hood.

"Thanks, Ellie," Morgan remarked absently, looking away from the dying Nightmare as it exploded.

To Morgan's surprise, Severa, Owain, and Helios seemed to be struggling more than the twins. Trance and Ferus had already cleaned up their earlier battle, and were now slowly picking their way across the battlefield, luring away and destroying the Nightmares one at a time. In contrast, Severa and Owain had pulled away from Helios – or perhaps it was Helios that had pulled away from them. Either way, all three of them had wound up fully surrounded.

Severa and Owain were holding their ground, but only just. Standing back to back, they only barely managed to keep the Nightmares around them at bay. A short distance away, Helios, too, was thoroughly entangled in the chaotic melee. Unlike Severa and Owain, the robed swordsman never once seemed to stop moving, darting and weaving through his foes and striking at every opening he could find. Nevertheless, he, too, seemed incapable of finishing off any of his opponents.

"Fire or ice?" Morgan considered aloud. The question answered itself almost immediately, for the young tactician quickly realized that there was no way she could hurl one of her stronger spells into the midst of the battle without the risk of hitting her allies, too. With a sigh, Morgan reluctantly drew a second of the sparkling blue gemstones and rolled it towards the swarm of Nightmares.

And just like that, the raging skirmish came to a sudden end.

* * *

"Watch where you're aiming next time," Severa grumbled, wrapping herself more tightly in the blanket Morgan had given her.

Morgan, who had already apologized no less than five times, decided it was a lost cause and turned to Helios instead. "How did you know to jump at that exact moment, Hel?" she asked curiously. Though she hadn't offered any warning, just as her spell went off, the veteran Sun Guard had managed to leap clear of the freezing explosion, slaying one of the frozen Nightmares in his ensuing descent.

"You made the same rolling motion earlier before freezing those other four Nightmares," Helios replied.

"You were watching when I did that?" Morgan asked, amazed.

"I caught a glimpse of them as they were charging you," Helios said, shrugging modestly. "The next time I looked, they had all been frozen solid, so when you started rolling something towards me, I figured it was time to get out of the way."

"What sort of spell was that, anyways?" Severa scowled.

Morgan pulled another of the blue gemstones from her pouch and held it up for the others to see. "It's something Dad and I invented a few years ago. We never gave them a real name. They're great for putting out accidental fires, though," she said.

"No name?" Owain asked, wearing a horrified look that seemed terribly silly given the thick blanket wrapped around him. "The nefarious forces of namelessness cannot be allowed such a terrible victory!"

"Go on, then," Morgan eagerly prompted, to her older sister's dismay.

"Don't encourage him!" Severa scolded impatiently, but she was far too late.

"A Seed of Frost!" Owain offered immediately. "No, wait… too monotonous. Harbinger of Winter? Freezing Scourge?"

Helios and Trance seemed quite amused by it all, but after a glance at Severa's deepening scowl, Morgan decided it best not to try her sister's patience for too long. "Come on, let's search this village while Owain's thinking," she said. Ferus, who seemed unnerved by Owain's eccentricity, quickly took point beside Morgan, and the two of them led the way through the ruins.

Half an hour later, they had discovered almost nothing of interest, and Owain had seemingly run out of names.

"This place is completely empty," Ferus griped. "There aren't even any bodies here."

"Were you hoping there'd be?" Severa grumbled, sounding equally unhappy.

"This place has to be hundreds of years old by now," Morgan reasoned.

"And with that many Nightmares hanging around, it's probably been uninhabitable the entire time," Helios agreed. "Even if the villagers did die here, there wouldn't be anything left of them but dust by now."

"Do we keep heading towards the border, then?" Trance asked.

Morgan shook her head. "It's getting late… I think. It's hard to tell, really. Let's head over to Water's Edge and get some rest," she offered. She waved her hand, activating her pearl ring, and a rift began to form.

Trance gulped. "Are you sure it'll be alright? For us to stay in another world?" he asked, torn between amazement and apprehension.

"Sure it will. Why wouldn't it be?" Morgan asked quizzically. "It'll be safer there, and if it's clear tonight, you'll get to see the moon and stars, too. You can even watch the sun rise tomorrow before we leave."

"The sun?" Ferus mumbled.

"Well, our sun," Morgan clarified. "But it sounds like the sun from your stories looks the same as ours, so it's probably not _too_ different."

"Eye of the Nohrian Blizzard!" Owain interrupted suddenly, startling everyone.

"For the gem?" Morgan understood a moment later. "Ooh, I like that one."

"No, you don't," Severa grumbled irritably. "And that's enough names for now, Owain," she added, staring pointedly at her husband. Owain quailed beneath that dangerous look, keeping quiet until the rift to Water's Edge finally took shape.

* * *

The sky over Water's Edge was indeed clear as Morgan had hoped. Helios, Trance, and Ferus were immediately and completely taken by the sight of the luminescent moon and stars. None of the three accepted Morgan's invitation to stay with her in her cabin, and they remained instead by the rift, enjoying the comfortably warm breeze and soaking in the sight that, to them, had been only a legend for so long. Over the course of an hour, they dozed off one at a time, comforted by Morgan's parting assurances that they'd be safe throughout the night.

Helios didn't rest for long, however. After only a few hours, he woke again to find the moon still looming peacefully overhead. At first, he rolled himself over and tried to return to his slumber, but the alluring light proved too distracting. Unable to sleep, he checked briefly on Trance and Ferus, then stepped away from the camp. He wandered through the surrounding copse of trees for some time, marveling at the starlit world around him, before coming across a small cliff jutting out to the south. There, he found a thick log lying in the ground, pressed firmly into the soft soil.

Without really thinking about it,

Helios didn't rest for long, however, stirring after only a few hours to find the moon still looming peacefully overhead. Unable to sleep, he checked briefly on his two companions before stepping away from the camp and leaving the surrounding copse of trees. Just a short distance away, he found a small cliff jutting out to the south. There was a thick log lying there, a conveniently placed seat with nearly a full view of the horizon.

Entranced by the perfect view of the horizon, Helios sat down on the log, gazing contentedly towards the night's lucent moon. He hadn't really noticed it before, but the moon did not look like the simple, silvery orb Monolith's legends spoke of. Instead, it was the same, elegantly curved shape he and Crescent had found drawn on a book in Sol Hearth's library.

Helios remained there, hardly aware of the passage of time, and it wasn't until someone sat down beside him that he realized just how inattentive the sight had left him. "Morgan?" he gasped.

The small, currently blue-haired girl made a shushing gesture. "The others are still sleeping," she reminded quietly.

"Right. Sorry," Helios said apologetically, lowering his voice. "What are you doing out here, though?"

"This is my spot. Why do you think dragged this log all the way out here?" Morgan asked indignantly. "But I don't mind sharing," she added quickly, when Helios began to rise. "What do you think?"

Helios managed a shaky smile. "It's beautiful," he said reverently. He gestured towards the moon. "Especially that. This all feels like a dream… I never thought I'd see such a thing."

"It _is_ quite pretty," Morgan agreed serenely. "I like the stars, too. If you look at them long enough, you can see all sorts of weird shapes among them, and there's dozens of old stories about those shapes."

"Stories?" Helios said.

"Most of them aren't real," Morgan admitted. "But they're still fun to think about. You like reading, too, don't you?"

"Sure do," Helios nodded. "It's refreshing to take your mind off of your life for a few moments, you know? Well, maybe it's different for you, growing up here in such a peaceful place instead."

Morgan smiled sadly. "Not as different as you'd imagine," she said. Then, as if to change the subject, she gestured towards the moon. "Hel? Do your legends mention the moon's shapes at all?"

"Our legends barely mention the moon," Helios replied. "They speak only of a silver orb, resembling a lesser sun. I've seen this shape before, though. There's a book in Sol Hearth's library with a picture of the sun and moon on the cover. I've always wondered why the artist drew the moon to look like an arc instead."

"Well, the moon looks a little bit different each night. Sometimes, it does look like a circle, but sometimes it looks like this," Morgan said. A mischievous grin crossed her lips. "Do you know what we call this particular shape?"

"What?" Helios asked.

"We call it a crescent moon," Morgan replied, her smile widening at Helios's look of surprise. "Fitting, isn't it?"

"Very funny," Helios said, rolling his eyes.

"I mean it! I'm totally serious," Morgan insisted. She narrowed her eyes and set her jaw, straining not to blink. "See? These are the eyes of a totally serious woman."

Helios took one look, then, to Morgan's consternation, he began to laugh.

"Hel!"

"It's alright. I believe you," Helios chuckled. He looked up at the moon again. "Crescent, huh? I bet she'd love to see this…"

"We could bring her here someday," Morgan offered, somewhat mollified. "You two could even move here to Water's Edge, if you'd like."

"That's an interesting thought," Helios mused. Then his expression grew somber. "Say, Morgan? Why are you helping us?"

Morgan tilted her head curiously. "Is there something wrong with wanting to help?" she asked coyly.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you seem a bit young to be traveling on your own," Helios said carefully. "I've been wondering about this since the night we met. Even in Monolith, we make sure kids who lose their families have homes to return to. At first, I thought you were traveling with your sister and Owain, but it's the other way around, isn't it?"

Morgan shrugged. "What makes you say that?"

"In every fight so far, I've seen you lingering on the sidelines, watching and waiting. You're never afraid to join in the fighting, but when you do, you always fight alone," Helios remarked. "You're not used to fighting alongside others, are you? If I had to guess, I'd say you've been on your own for quite some time, and your sister and Owain only recently joined you."

"You got all that just from watching me fight?" Morgan marveled. "That's amazing!"

"Not really," Helios said modestly. "You can learn a lot about someone just by knowing how and where to look. It'll be a nice skill for you to pick up, too, if you intend to keep swinging that sword of yours."

"Can you teach me?" Morgan asked eagerly.

"Sure, when we find the time," Helios agreed. "But you still haven't answered my question. What brought you to leave your home behind and travel all the way to Monolith? And why put yourself in so much danger for our sake?"

"You sound just like my sister," Morgan teased.

"Well, of course. Most people, including sisters and friends, tend to worry when they find a twelve-year-old girl running around on her own," Helios commented dryly.

"I'm thirteen, almost fourteen," Morgan said petulantly.

"And yet you fight better than most people twice your age. In fact, you fight better than I did when I was your age," Helios said. "That in itself is a cause for concern. It bothers me that someone so young was forced to take up a sword, and it bothers me even more that we're now burdening you with our world's troubles."

"I wasn't forced to do anything," Morgan insisted. "I started practicing my swordplay years ago, hoping to be more like my father."

"Your father was a swordsman?"

"Dad's a tactician," Morgan corrected. "One of the best, and a capable swordsman and mage, too. I've always wanted to be just like him. I began studying with him in his library almost as soon as I learned how to read. Then, once I was big enough to hold a sword steady, I started training with Severa's best friend."

"You must have really looked up to your father," Helios observed.

Morgan nodded sadly. "That's… that's why I'm out here," she sighed. "Our world has always had its share of troubles. My parents and their friends fought very hard to bring peace to our home. They took many risks so that my sister and friends and I could live happily safe and sound. Even though I grew up reading books about adventures, wars, and heroes, I never thought any of it would really happen to me."

"You thought wrong," Helios guessed.

"I wasn't ready at all," Morgan admitted. "I kept thinking that all the trouble in the world had already been taken care of. I just kept dreaming and dreaming. Meanwhile, my best friend was suffering, and I didn't even notice. We would talk about going on adventures together and saving the world, but she was the one who needed help. All along, she was the one who needed saving, but I didn't realize it until it was already too late."

Helios grimaced, rightly assuming the worst. "It couldn't have been your fault," he reasoned. "You must have been so young at the time. I'm sure you're sick of hearing it by now, but you're still a child, Morgan. If no one else noticed your friend suffering, how could you have known better, especially if your world's been at peace like you say?"

"I know it wasn't my fault," Morgan said. "But afterwards… I wanted to help, but really, I only made everything worse. I searched for the man who killed my friend. I searched for the man who killed Yuelle and wound up placing one of Dad's old friends into danger… and in the end, it was all for nothing. Yuelle was still dead. Then, since I wasn't ready to let her go, I ended up arguing with Dad, too.

"I've been on my own ever since. I've been searching for people who need protecting, trying to help them however I can. I keep telling myself that… if I can just get things right for once, I can go back home, and Mom and Dad would be proud of me. So I keep trying, but I'm always too late. This island is home to dozens of people who lost their homes – and often their families – before I could reach them. I've seen so many caravans destroyed… so many villages razed to the ground… in the end, all I could do was give the survivors a new home here."

Helios shook his head in disbelief. "You really have no idea how silly you sound right now, do you?" he asked.

"H-hey!" Morgan protested. "That's not nice!"

"Well, I meant it in the nicest way possible," Helios said reassuringly. "You know, you and I are more alike than I thought. Out in the Reaches, no one ever really talks much about the people we lose. It just happens too often, and to just about everyone. When I lost my parents, I couldn't stop thinking about them, but I had to keep it all bottled up. In the end, I joined the Sun Guard, thinking that they'd be proud if they could see me trying to help our people the way my father used to."

"So you do know what it's like," Morgan said quietly, staring down into her lap. "You know exactly how it feels to never be quite sure what they would think of you. To hear their voices each and every time you close your eyes, as if they were standing beside you… but to know that none of its real."

"Yes and no," Helios said slowly. "I know what it's like, but one day, Morgan, you'll think back and realize that your parents were never half as hard on you as you are upon yourself."

"But…" Morgan tried to interrupt.

"If you're father deserves even half the respect you hold for him, he'd be proud of you just the way you are," Helios insisted. "If you don't believe me, go and ask some of the others you've brought here to this island. How many of them truly resent you for being unable to save their homes and families, I wonder? My guess is, most – if not all – of them are simply grateful for everything you've given them already."

"Because that's all they have left," Morgan reasoned sadly.

"Which is more than they could have expected from anyone, let alone a little girl plagued with her own troubles like yourself," Helios insisted.

Morgan still seemed uncertain, and only shrugged timidly. She thought of how she had promised to return home beside her sister. Somehow, despite both Severa and Helios's assurances, Morgan felt more uneasy than ever, as if it was her own rising hopes she feared.

"Sleep on it a bit," Helios offered, rising from his seat with a yawn. "I ought to get back to bed, too."

"Oh, it's too late for that," Morgan said, her customary playful and knowing smile returning. She gestured towards the eastern sky. "Watch," she instructed slyly.

Obediently Helios turned towards the eastern horizon. He stared silently at the stars, wondering what exactly he was watching for. Then, just when he was on the verge of asking Morgan what was happening, dawn's first light crept up into the sky. Scintillating rays brighter than anything Helios could have ever imagined shined outwards, burying the stars in their brilliance.

With a surprised grunt, Helios averted his eyes.

"Oh, sorry. You don't really want to stare at it too long," Morgan apologized sheepishly.

"T-that's the sun?" Helios stammered.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Morgan said cheerfully. "Honestly, I think the moon and stars are prettier, but the sun is just so much brighter."

"Too bright. It hurts to look at," Helios said, regaining his composure.

"If you decide to stay here, you'll get used to it pretty quickly," Morgan assured him. "Well, I should go see if Severa and Owain are ready to go. See you back at the rift?"

"See you soon," Helios agreed.

* * *

Owain awoke to a loud crash, followed immediately by a series of angry curses. He sat up, rubbing his eyes blearily, then quickly found the source of the commotion. "What ails you, my love?" he asked Severa, who appeared to be in the middle of upending her traveling bag.

"It's gone!" Severa fumed.

"What's gone?" Owain asked blankly.

"My diary! It's not here anymore!" Severa said. Frustrated, she cast aside her now empty bag and surveyed her many weathered belongings.

"You keep a diary?" Owain asked, more confused than ever.

"You keep a journal filled entirely with names for anything you might come across that needs naming, and you're questioning me keeping a diary?" Severa huffed, crossing her arms.

"O-of course not," Owain said, shaking his head quickly. "I just didn't know you had… I mean… what kind of diary is it?"

"It's _my_ diary," Severa scowled. "Have you seen it anywhere? Because if I find out you took it…"

"I didn't even know you had a diary until just now," Owain protested.

"Oh. Right," Severa said, calming down slightly. She glanced over at Ophelia, and was to relieved to see she hadn't accidentally awakened the sleeping baby.

Owain crawled out of bed and began dressing, nearly tripping over a small scrimshaw in the purpose. "When did you see your diary last?" he asked, eyeing the many assorted objects that his wife had unceremoniously dumped to the floor.

"I don't know," Severa admitted unhappily. She sat down unhappily on the edge of her bed. "I was looking for my favorite comb when I noticed it was missing."

"Maybe it got mixed up into my belongings," Owain suggested, and he hastened to begin combing through his own possessions.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Morgan poked her head through. "Are you two awake yet?" she asked, before seeing the mess on the ground. "Whoa! What happened here?" she gasped.

"One of your sister's prized possession, a receptacle for the secrets of her heart, has mysteriously disappeared," Owain explained. He set his own bag aside shortly after, disappointed.

Morgan looked quite bewildered at first, but a smile spread across her face as she understood. "A diary?" she asked gleefully. "You keep a diary, Sis?"

"Yes, and it's missing!" Severa complained.

"When you find it, can I read it?" Morgan asked hopefully.

"What!? Of course not! That's exactly the opposite of what a diary is for!" Severa snapped.

"Aww, come on," Morgan begged, pouting slightly.

"What mortal can resist such a siren call?" Owain asked with a slight smirk.

"I can," Severa said, glowering at both of them. She knew her husband well enough to know he was only trying to cheer her up, though, and the corners of her lips quirked up into a half smile. "Never mind the diary," she decided, rising to clean up the mess she had made. "I probably just threw it out and forgot about it. Whatever. It's not like I was about to let anyone else read it, anyways."

Morgan seemed mildly disappointed, but she scrambled to help clear the mess away. Before long, they departed for the rift, pausing only for Severa and Owain to say their goodbyes to their oblivious, sleeping daughter.

* * *

The six wanderers found the second day of their journey to be as uneventful as the first. They came across two more sets of ruins, neither of which held anything of interest, and as Trance had noted the day before, the Nightmares became increasingly uncommon as they went.

The pattern seemed to hold throughout the morning of the third day, too. Morgan knew they would be coming across the border soon, and did her best to remain vigilant, but she and her friends marched on for several hours without encountering a single enemy. Instead, the first oddity the young tactician noticed was an unusual, yet intimately familiar scent.

"Hang on," Morgan interrupted, and her friends all turned to her curiously. "Do any of you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Ferus asked, after experimentally sniffing the air a few times. "I don't smell anything."

"I do, but it's not very strong," Helios said. He frowned, but with none of the lantern rings pointed his way, no one else noticed. "It's the same scent I noticed in Water's Edge, I think."

"It's the smell of brine," Morgan confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Severa asked, for she hadn't noticed any scent.

"I'm positive, but why would the air here have a…" Morgan mumbled, before her voice abruptly died.

"What is it, Morgan?" Trance prodded.

"An island," Morgan whispered. "Monolith is an island. It's surrounded by an ocean. That's what the border on the map was for."

"An ocean?" Helios wondered. "Does that mean there's nothing out there, after all?"

Morgan immediately shook her head, then looked to Trance. "Could I have my ring back for a moment?" she requested.

"Sure," Trance agreed, taking off the ring and handing it over. "But…"

Before he could finish his question, Morgan took off running, holding the ring out before her to illuminate her path. "This way!" she called, charging off into the darkness.

* * *

"Morgan, slow down!" Severa panted, trying in vain to keep up with her younger sister. She looked back towards the others, who were similarly struggling with the rough and rocky terrain. "Where does she find all that energy?" she grumbled quietly to herself, her voice drowned out by the rhythmic crashing of the ocean's waves.

Then, to Severa's relief, the small prick of light coming from Morgan's ring stopped moving. With one last burst of strength, she sprinted ahead of the others only to find the ground sinking beneath her weight.

"What!?" she gasped.

"It's just sand," Morgan's voice called out from somewhere ahead.

With a groan, Severa stopped and waited for the others to catch up to her. Then, the five of them slowly trudged across the sandy beach until they finally arrived at Morgan's side and saw that they had reached the ocean's shore.

Morgan hardly acknowledged the others approaching her, and continued to stare out towards the shifting dark waters. Beside her, the rift to Water's Edge was already halfway complete.

"Were you really in such a big hurry to see the ocean again?" Helios asked wryly.

"Nothing but water," Ferus grumbled. "This was all just a waste of time, I guess."

"No," Morgan answered softly.

"It wasn't?" Owain asked, puzzled.

Morgan shook her head. "I need to try something once the rift is finished. Just wait here, okay?" she said.

"What's going on, Morgan?" Severa demanded impatiently.

"You'll see in a few minutes," Morgan insisted, and to her sister's consternation, she refused to say anything more. The rift finished shortly after, and the young tactician rushed through, though she did not stop to close the rift behind her. The others stared at the rift, wondering if they should follow. Eventually, they chose to remain where they were, scattering around the immediate area and inspecting the beach for anything of interest.

They were still searching when Morgan finally returned twenty minutes later, clutching a large scroll, an oddly shaped torch, a dusty tome, and several other metallic implements.

"What's all this stuff for?" Trance asked, impressed by Morgan's exotic looking equipment.

"This device is a magical beacon," Morgan explained as she firmly pressed the torch into the sand until it stood vertically without any support. Once her hands were free, she dismissed the rift behind her, then raised her tome. A spark shot out from her hands, lighting the torch with a soothing, viridian flame. At the same time, she pulled an hourglass from inside the rolled up scroll, flipped it so that the sands could begin falling, and set it down beside the torch.

A few minutes later, the torch pulsed brightly, then went out. Morgan's lips went thin, and she seemed to be quivering with anger.

"What does it mean?" Severa asked worriedly.

"It means he lied to me," Morgan said stiffly.

"Who lied to you?" Owain asked, glancing at the others who seemed equally puzzled.

"The Fireman! He actually lied to me!" Morgan said, shaking her head in disbelief. "This place… Monolith… it isn't in another world at all!"


	13. Chapter 11: Staring into the Light

**~ Chapter 11 ~**

 **Staring into the Light**

"It's not?" Severa asked blankly.

"What are you talking about, Morgan?" Helios asked.

In answer, Morgan reset her hourglass, then lit the torch again, this time with a lustrous, vermillion flame. "This beacon sends a magical signal towards another beacon just like it," she explained. "Once the signal reaches the other beacon, the other beacon returns the signal. Since it worked, the signal somehow reached the beacon I left in Water's Edge."

"So we haven't left our world," Severa realized. "We've just traveled to another part of it."

"Then what's become of the sun and the stars?" Owain asked, puzzled. "How have we found a place so distant that the light of the heavens cannot find it?"

"That's what the hourglass is for," Morgan said. She sounded surprisingly irritated. "You can measure the distance between two beacons by how long it takes for the signal to return. Once the torch lights up again, we'll know where we are."

"Will we?" Severa asked doubtfully. "Knowing how far we are doesn't tell us which direction we've gone."

"It does if you can measure two such distances," Morgan replied. She unfurled the large scroll, which turned out to be some sort of world map. "This is Archanea, which we know today as Ylisse," she said, indicating one of the three continents on the map. "This continent west of it is Valentia, which we now know as Valm."

"And this?" Severa asked, indicating another continent she did not recognize.

"Jugdral. It's far away enough that no one in Ylisse really knows much about it, save for the old legends," Morgan explained. "And way farther from Water's Edge than we currently are," she added.

Morgan selected one of her implements, and after a few quick adjustments, lined up the device's needlelike point with Water's Edge. The other end of the device held a piece of chalk, which the young tactician used to trace a large, perfect circle.

The torch flared again, and Morgan glanced briefly at the hourglass. After making another quick adjustment, she drew a second circle centered on Ylisstol. "Just as I thought," she proclaimed grimly, gesturing towards the two points at which the circles crossed.

"What does it mean?" Helios asked, feeling thoroughly lost.

"The circles mark the distance between us and the beacons," Morgan explained. "We're at one of the two points where the two circles cross, but one of the points is so far north that if Monolith were there, it would be covered in snow and ice all year round."

"So we're here, then?" Severa guessed, indicating southeast intersection. "Just south of Valm?"

"Yep. I really should've guessed this sooner," Morgan said bitterly. "We're in the Abyssal Sea."

"The Abyssal Sea?" Severa wondered. For some reason, that name sounded vaguely familiar, as if she had only heard it just recently.

"There's a small portion of the ocean south of Chon'sin that supposedly never sees the sky," Morgan said. "Some claim that the Abyssal Sea is always covered in a layer of thick, impenetrable clouds. Others insist that there are no clouds, and that somehow, the shadows were distorted to form some sort of veil. Since there's nothing particularly important in or around the Abyssal Sea, it's become little more than an old sailors' tale. They're always telling stories about lost ships in this region or pirates that make their hideouts here."

"What you're saying is our stories have it all wrong," Trance said, staring thoughtfully at the unseen sky above. "The sun was never extinguished. You showed it to us."

"All this time, we've been trying to follow in the footsteps of Icarus," Ferus said. Like his brother, he couldn't help but stare at the unyielding darkness. "We've been searching for answers and chasing our ambitions, just as we thought he had done… but if the sun is still out there, maybe Icarus never existed."

"It doesn't matter," Helios said bluntly.

"Of course it matters," Trance disagreed quietly. "Icarus is our inspiration and spiritual leader. His story is what drove many of us to follow this course. Now you're telling us that the stories were false, and that he himself might not have been real."

"Which still doesn't matter," Helios said firmly. "Whether or not Icarus existed, we'll never know now. Whether or not the stories were real, the lessons you chose to take from them remain the same. Now that we know the sun is out there, you can keep on believing that there's an answer, that there's some way of dispelling the darkness and making all of Monolith a better place."

"It sounds great when you put it that way, but we're still nowhere closer to a solution," Ferus said. "We don't even have the slightest idea where the Nightmares are coming from, let alone what's causing the darkness… and it sounds like the rest of the world that we didn't know about has already given up on figuring it out."

"I guess they have," Morgan conceded. "But I'm not giving up yet. Come on. Let's head back to Leo's Rest."

"Back to Leo's Rest?" Severa echoed. "What for?"

Morgan managed a feeble smile. "You aren't going to like it," she warned.

"Certainly it cannot be worse than venturing out into the great unknown, battling dread creatures at every turn," Owain reasoned, gesturing grandly at their surroundings. "Err… can it?"

Struck by the irony of what she was about to propose, Morgan couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Remember how before we left, I told Bayn that this trip was no worse than trying to capture the Sun Spire in Aquila's Ascent?" she asked in a leading tone.

"Sure," Severa nodded. "But what does…" That was as far as she got before she understood Morgan's meaning.

"Yeah, I know," Morgan said, cringing when she saw her sister's horrified expression. "It'll be different this time, though. I know what we're looking for, I think."

"You think?" Severa asked incredulously. "Have you lost your mind, Morgan? Don't you remember how many people died the last time someone tried this?"

Helios finally caught on. "You don't seriously mean to try for the Sun Spire in Leo's Rest, do you?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Morgan nodded uneasily. "We have to. Come on, I'll explain when we're back in the city," she promised.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Morgan?" Helios asked. As he spoke, he moved to stand by a nearby window and opened the shutters; he, Morgan, Severa, and Owain were gathered inside the inn nearest the Sun Spire, and the gleaming crystal was just outside, looming over them from only a few buildings away.

"You don't want to ask her that. It'll only drive you crazy," Severa said, and from her tone, it was clear that she was at least partially serious.

"See? You're getting the hang of it, Sis," Morgan said, grinning.

Helios still seemed quite overwhelmed, and shook his head violently, as if to clear his thoughts. "You really think the Sun Spires are responsible for creating the Nightmares?" he asked. "That would be…"

"Terribly ironic," Severa interjected dryly.

"It's the simplest answer," Morgan reasoned. "We didn't find any signs of life on our way to Monolith's shores. That means whatever magic is behind all the Nightmares has to be coming from around here somewhere, but magic is outlawed. If someone was using magic frequently enough to create this many Nightmares, someone must have noticed by now."

"And for some reason, our ancestors decided to build only six of the Sun Spires. The Nightmares could very well be that reason," Helios finished. "I know it makes sense, but it's… it's hard to believe. The Sun Spires were built to protect us, after all."

"Every choice in the story of our lives has consequences," Owain offered solemnly. "It is fitting – nay, not merely fitting, but _poetic_ – that your greatest salvation may also be the source of your greatest difficulties."

"Well, if it's any comfort to you, I'm not entirely sure that the Sun Spires are our problem," Morgan said.

"How is that supposed to be a comfort?" Severa snipped, rolling her eyes.

"After all, if I was absolutely sure, we wouldn't be planning to break into one, would we?" Morgan went on, ignoring her sister's interruption.

"But you're sure enough that we're trying to get you a closer look at one of them," Helios sighed.

"Cheer up, Hel. This won't be like that night in Aquila's Ascent," Morgan said bracingly. "The six of us will have a far easier time fighting our way up to the top of the Sun Spire, and none of us will be nearly so sloppy as to accidentally destroy it."

"Which is why you sent Trance and Ferus to find the other Seekers here in Leo's Rest, warning them to be ready to evacuate the city tonight," Helios pointed out dryly.

"I'm… uh… just being careful," Morgan said uncomfortably.

"It's alright, Morgan. I'm just messing with you," Helios laughed. "For whatever it's worth, I think it's the right move – both trying for the Sun Spire and having Trance and Ferus alert their friends, just in case."

"I don't know how much good it'll do," Morgan admitted. "There's over a thousand people living in this city, but – according to Trance, anyways – less than two score of the Seekers. If we do somehow slip up and accidentally destroy the Sun Spire, Leo's Rest will likely still suffer the same fate as Aquila's Ascent."

"Don't worry, Morgan. None of us are about to accidentally destroy something so large and valuable," Severa said reassuringly.

"You're telling me not to worry?" Morgan asked, shooting her sister a strange look.

Severa blushed. "W-well, yeah," she stammered. "Worrying about everything is my job, remember? When you start fretting like this, what's left for me to do?"

Morgan giggled reluctantly. "Alright. No more fretting," she promised. Smiling contentedly, she scooted forward a few feet along the room's wooden flooring, then leaned back, lying on the ground parallel to the wall.

"You should get some rest while we're waiting, Morgan," Helios advised, sounding concerned. "You seem pretty tired. The Solcryst only just went dim, so we have several hours before they rotate the smaller patrols out."

"I'm fine, Hel. It's just the warp powder," Morgan assured. Then she sat bolt upright, as if suddenly remembering something. "You should each take some with you, too," she suggested, reaching for her pouch.

"What is it?" Helios asked, looking at the pouch and frowning suspiciously.

"Warp powder. It's how I got back here after sending you five back to Water's Edge," Morgan explained. "You think of some place you'd like to be, then throw it down at the ground, and poof! You're right where you want to be!"

"Then why did we spend three days searching for Monolith's shore?" Helios asked.

"It's hard to picture a place you've never seen or heard of before," Morgan said with a shrug. "Also, it's usually not a good idea to warp to some place you haven't been in a while. Using warp powder leaves you weakened for a few hours, so you want to be sure your destination is safe."

"Like this room we're standing in, which you stayed at three days ago and could easily have been rented out to someone else," Severa added slyly.

Morgan blushed. "I didn't think about that," she admitted, glancing at the door. "Anyways, we should each be carrying some warp powder. That way, if something goes wrong, we can retreat straight to Sol Hearth." She began doling out handfuls of the magical powder into several smaller pouches.

"Your mystic stash is nearly depleted," Owain observed.

"I know," Morgan said in a resigned tone. "I've been careful with how I use my supplies, hoping to make them last as long as possible, but I was bound to run out eventually. I was planning to build myself a new workshop in Water's Edge, but I keep putting it off."

"You can always borrow Dad's once we're home," Severa reminded.

Morgan made a face. "Even before Dad and I started arguing, I think I spent more time banned from Dad's workshop than not," she said.

"Really?" Severa asked doubtfully.

"Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit," Morgan admitted. She tossed one pouch of warp powder over to Helios. "But I did get kicked out a lot. Especially when I was really little, or when I accidentally blew something up."

"Blew something up," Helios repeated faintly, staring at the warp powder as if he expected it to explode in his hands.

The door swung open, and Ferus stepped in, followed shortly by Trance. For some reason, the twins looked even more exhausted than Morgan.

"I really hope you weren't talking about the Sun Spire," Ferus grimaced. "The others thought we were mad when we told them we were going to take another shot at one of the Sun Spires, this time without a month's preparations."

"A few of them tried to talk us out of it. Even after we told them we were following Bayn's orders, they didn't seem convinced," Trance added worriedly. When he noticed Morgan's questioning look, he grew defensive. "It's technically true. He sent us to help you, remember?"

"Isn't Bayn the leader of the Seekers?" Severa asked.

"One of several," Ferus corrected. "But after what happened in Aquila, these people are terrified. Even Grandmaster Zen would have a hard time convincing them this is a good idea."

"Who's Grandmaster Zen?" Morgan asked curiously.

"The founder of our order," Trance answered. "He was once a member of the Sun Guard, too. Shortly after he was promoted to First Class, he began to wonder what became of the research left behind by the Deicide. When he challenged how easily we had accepted our many hardships, the Sun Guard cast him out."

"They say Grandmaster Zen used to be quite the warrior, but that was over five decades ago. He doesn't do a whole lot these days, besides reading old stories and sharing his wisdom when asked," Ferus said.

"Interesting," Morgan mused. "Well, never mind that for now. Let's get going."

"Right now? I thought we were going to wait until just before the Solcryst lights up," Helios said.

"We were. That way, even if something were to go terribly wrong again, Leo's Rest wouldn't have to hold out against the darkness for long," Morgan said. "But we just told the Seekers here what we're up to. If they don't trust us, I don't know how much longer we can afford to wait."

"Our friends won't betray us to the Sun Guard," Trance promised.

"I don't know," Ferus said worriedly. "Morgan might be right. The Seekers here have spent most of their lives in Leo's Rest. Their friends and families are all here. Now that they've seen what can happen, they have every reason to be afraid."

"And if even one of them breaks down sometime in the next few hours, we could have half the city's Sun Guard standing between us and the Sun Spire," Morgan warned. "We should go now, before the other Seekers have had time to think and scare themselves into moving against us."

"Too late," Helios announced grimly. He gestured out the window and towards the street below where a lone, hooded figure was slowly skulking towards the base of the Sun Spire.

"Cowards," Ferus cursed under his breath.

"I'm sorry, Morgan," Trance apologized. "I never thought they would…"

"It's okay, it's my fault," Morgan interrupted quickly. "I'm the one who didn't think this through. I should've known the other Seekers would be leery of moving against the Sun Guard again so soon after the disaster in Aquila's Ascent."

"But what do we do now? The Sun Guard will be ready for us," Trance said, glancing nervously towards the Sun Spire.

"Maybe, maybe not," Morgan said thoughtfully. "There might still be a way for us to turn the tables on them. Let's go."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Helios casually strolled up to the Sun Spire alone. The six guards stationed at the tower looked up at him in surprise, but they calmed slightly when they recognized Helios's white and gold robes.

"Good evening," one of the guards greeted.

"Evening," Helios replied with a curt nod, immediately noticing that all six of the guards seemed tense despite their pleasant expressions. There was no sign of the hooded man from before, either, or anyone asides from the posted patrol.

"What brings you here at such a late hour, my friend?" another of the guards asked.

"Couldn't sleep," Helios replied with a shrug. "Thought I'd take a look around the city instead, since I might end up staying here for a while."

Taken aback, the guards exchanged confused looks. "You're not from around here?" one of them finally asked. "But you're not a patrol leader."

"Nope. Helios, Fourth Class, out of Aquila's Ascent," Helios replied.

"Aquila's Ascent!?" several of the guards exclaimed together.

"Yeah," Helios said, grimacing. "I was lucky enough to be at the wall when the city went dark. After I made it back to Sol Hearth, I signed up for an escort job. Leo's Rest is nice enough – reminds me a bit of home, honestly – but I haven't gotten my reassignment yet."

"You might get a transfer to Sol Hearth, then," one of the guards said comfortingly. "But if not, this city's as good a place as any to end up. I should know; I've been here all my life."

"Yeah, all eighteen years of it," one of the guards chuckled. Several of the other guards, including the younger guard who had spoken before, began laughing.

The oldest of the six remained grim, however. "Helios, there's something I'd like to hear your opinion on, if you don't mind."

"Go for it, but if you're going to ask me about Aquila, I'm not entirely sure what happened that night, either," Helios warned.

"A civilian stopped by a short while ago," the old guard explained. "He claimed to have spotted several suspicious strangers wandering around nearby, and that at least one of them mentioned the Sun Spire."

"I'm telling you, Daryl, the poor guy probably just ran into a bunch of drunks," one of the other guards insisted. "Heck, they were probably the same merchants that came in with the caravan Helios here was assigned to."

"He seemed sure these were Nihilists, though," the older guard protested.

"Nihilists? Are you sure?" Helios interrupted sharply.

"Not really. We haven't seen any sign of them ourselves," the old guard admitted. "But that man seemed so certain. I think we should tell someone at Headquarters, at least, but…"

"You know how much the captain hates to be bothered," the youngest guard interrupted nervously.

"Daryl, was it?" Helios asked, turning to the older guard, who nodded. "I think you're right; if there's even a chance that the Sun Spire is in danger, you need to tell someone. Just before Aquila's Sun Spire went dark, one of ours ran by, shouting something about there being Nihilists in the city, but the warning came too late."

"Better safe than sorry," Daryl agreed.

"And it's safer not bothering the captain over the words of some paranoid fool," one of the guards said, rolling his eyes. "Unless… Helios, would you mind dropping by Headquarters and finding our captain for us?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't really know my way around your city yet," Helios apologized. "Why don't two or three of you go together? That's what my patrol and I used to do with bad news. That way, your captain will be less inclined to single one of you out. He may just take your news more seriously, too."

"Sounds like you've had some experience with this," Daryl remarked dryly.

"Of course I have. Is there such a thing as a reasonable patrol leader?" Helios asked with a conspiratorial grin. "Would you like me to stick around for a bit? I don't have much else to do, so I could cover a bit for everyone leaving."

Daryl mulled the suggestion over for a few moments longer, then nodded. "Thanks, Helios," he said, before turning to the other guards. "Quin, Earl, would you two mind coming along with me?"

One of the guards almost certainly did mind, judging from his expression, but neither of them argued, leaving Helios and the remaining three guards alone.

But they weren't alone for long. Less than five minutes after the first three guards left, Morgan appeared from around the corner, playfully skipping past the Sun Spire. Even Helios was taken aback, for the girl had somehow changed her hair color back to its normal vibrant red.

Morgan stopped midstride, as if noticing the guards for the first time. Then she made an exaggerated show of looking up at the Sun Spire's summit before walking straight up to the guards. "Hello!" she greeted cheerfully, managing to sound even younger than she really was.

At first, the guards could only look to one another silently. Despite their nervous state, none of them seemed alarmed by their surprising visitor.

"Hey, kid," one of them finally said, kneeling down so that he didn't tower over the little girl quite as much. "Where are your parents? Are you lost?"

"My uncle's busy," Morgan said, shuffling her feet timidly. "He said I could go exploring, as long as I stay near the tavern. I can still see it from here, though." She looked up and down the street behind her, feigning a puzzled look.

"Do you remember what the tavern's called?" the guard asked. "I can show you the way back."

"I can find it myself," Morgan insisted petulantly. Without warning, she darted past the guard and right up to the Sun Spire. She didn't reach for the door, though, and instead looked straight up. "Wow! It's so tall!" she exclaimed.

A couple of the guards laughed, amused by Morgan's childish antics. "It sure is," one agreed. "Is this your first time seeing the Sun Spire up close?"

Morgan nodded enthusiastically. "Can we go up there?" she asked, pointing up at the top of the tower.

The guards' smiles vanished. "Of course not. Don't be silly," another of the guards said firmly.

"Aww, why not?" Morgan pleaded.

"Because the tower's off-limits," another guard reminded impatiently. "Now get away from there." He reached out as if to seize Morgan by the hand and drag her away from the tower.

Distracted by the young tactician, even Helios had missed Severa's approach, at least until a glaive suddenly appeared in their midst. The guard trying to seize Morgan felt a forceful blow to the back of his head, then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"What?" one of the two remaining tower guards gasped. He spun, as did the only other remaining member of his patrol, but Helios struck first. The rogue Sun Guard swiftly drew both of his swords, kicking out at the same time and tripping the nearest guard. Helios then punched out with one of his sword hilts, striking the prone man squarely on the temple and knocking him out cold.

The last guard backed away from Severa and Helios, stammering incomprehensible protests as he spotted three others – Owain, Trance, and Ferus – closing in.

Recognizing that the last tower guard had forgotten all about her, Morgan seized the opportunity to strike. One clean blow with her sap, and the third guard slumped down to join his comatose comrades.

"I thought you were going to give me a signal of some sort," Helios reminded Morgan, for their original plan was for him to start off the fighting, buying time for Severa to close in.

"I did!" Morgan protested. "I asked you to take me to the top of the Sun Spire, remember?"

"What kind of signal is that?" Helios grumbled.

"A signal you two can argue about later," Severa interceded. "We don't have long before those other guards come back with reinforcements, remember?"

"Right," Morgan agreed hastily. She turned and grabbed for the door handle, only to find the only entrance to the Sun Spire locked.

"I told you it'd be locked," Helios reminded.

"I can get it open," Trance offered, stepping forward. He stepped straight back a moment later when he saw Morgan brandishing her tome at the door.

"So can I," Morgan said, before reducing the thick wooden door to cinders. "Come on," she urged, before racing through the entryway and up the spiral staircase inside.

* * *

By the time the six invaders reached the top of the Sun Spire, they were all out of breath.

"Oh fearless leader," Owain wheezed. "Bequeath upon me the sigil of light's…"

"Catch," Morgan interrupted, flipping a glass disc wrapped in a thin lattice of gold leaf to Owain.

"Hurry! Someone's coming!" Severa pressed. Owain was already in the middle of invoking the light rune, though, and a few seconds after she finished speaking, an opaque barrier of pure light formed across the doorway.

"How long will it hold?" Ferus asked nervously. He and his brother remained near the barrier, eyeing it nervously as if expecting it to disappear as suddenly as it had appeared.

"A few minutes, at least," Morgan said absentmindedly. Without even bothering to look at the barrier Owain had summoned, she stepped up to the scintillating crystal that formed the Sun Spire's peak.

After a few moments, Severa and Helios approached the crystal, too, standing on either side of Morgan. "So, what do you think?" Severa asked, staring into the glowing, many-faceted stone. The light was uncomfortably bright and stung her eyes slightly, but it wasn't quite as unbearable as she had been expecting.

"Hmm… I'm not sure yet," Morgan said slowly.

A few angry cries sounded through the light barrier behind them, which was apparently not as soundproof as it was impenetrable.

"Well, what are you looking for?" Helios prompted impatiently.

"I thought the Sun Spire would be using a stronger variation of the spell my lantern rings use," Morgan explained. "Both this crystal and my rings are designed to constantly give off light without relying on someone providing them with magical energy. At least, that's what I thought."

"And now?" Severa asked.

"Now I'm not so sure," Morgan admitted. "Self-sustaining enchantments normally radiate a lot of magical energy. This crystal's magic is surprisingly faint."

"You can feel magic?" Helios asked skeptically. "I don't feel anything."

"Some people are naturally more sensitive to magic than others," Morgan said with a shrug. "It helps if you've used magic before yourself, too. Owain, you can sense the magic coming from the lantern rings, can't you?"

At the sound of his name, Owain finally looked away from the barrier he had created. "Of course. Such a distinct mark cannot escape Owain Dark unnoticed," he boasted. However, as his gaze fell upon the crystal, he grew puzzled. "This cannot be. This ancient relic veils my third eye; where there should be a coursing river of mystical energies, I see only an endless, gaping void," he muttered.

"See? It's faint enough that Owain doesn't sense it at all," Morgan said. "It's different, too, as if the crystal's magic isn't just creating light," she thought aloud. As her mind wandered, she glanced back towards the light barrier, and her expression hardened.

"Is something wrong, Morgan?" Severa asked worriedly, gripping her glaive more tightly and staring at the barrier.

"Very," Morgan said softly. "Could I borrow your glaive for a moment, Sis?"

"Sure," Severa agreed, handing the weapon over. "But why…" That was as far as she got before Morgan spun, thrusting the glaive directly at the crystal with as much force as she could muster.

"What are you doing!?" Helios shrieked. He grabbed for Morgan, but was too slow. The young tactician backed out of his reach, then stabbed again, before reversing her grip and bashing at the crystal with the glaive's heavy shaft.

Light continued swirling beneath the many unmarred surfaces of the crystal; none of Morgan's attacks had managed to leave even a scratch on the mysterious relic.

"It's shielded," Morgan explained, sounding disgusted as she passed the glaive back to her stunned sister. "The crystal is protecting itself with magic similar to my light rune."

"Shielded," Helios echoed hollowly.

"Which means the Seekers didn't destroy the Sun Spire in Aquila's Ascent. They couldn't have destroyed it, accidentally or otherwise," Morgan concluded grimly.

"Who destroyed it, then? And how?" Ferus asked.

Morgan barely heard the Sun Guard's question. She was staring deep into the depths of crystal, and seemed fully captivated by the faint shadow forming within it.

Unnoticed by the others, the shadow shaped itself into the likeness of a hooded, winged man.

"I can see you," Morgan whispered determinedly. "You can't hide from me anymore. We're coming for you."

Severa and Helios, who were standing close enough to overhear, peered into the crystal just as the shadow faded. The light was already shifting again, flowing inwards towards the center of the crystal and concentrating into a single, blinding mote of light.

Even as Severa looked away from the light, she felt the soft tingle of magical energy surging through the air around her. She looked nervously to her husband, and upon seeing Owain's confused expression, she knew she was not the only one who had sensed the change.

"Get down!" Morgan suddenly cried out. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Helios diving aside, and knew that he, at least, must have sensed what was to come. She moved to do the same herself, but saw, to her horror, that Severa was staring at her in confusion.

With only a split second to decide, the young tactician changed her course at the last possible second, throwing herself against her older sister. Severa tumbled to the ground with a yelp, but her cry was drowned out by the sound of breaking glass.

An intense, pure light erupted from the Sun Spire's peak, blinding everyone standing nearby. Morgan gritted her teeth, bracing herself for the worst, but could not keep herself from crying out in agony when thousands of razor-sharp fragments from the shattered crystal tore into her from behind. Amidst the pain, she barely noticed herself flying through the air, propelled by the explosion.

A second later, Morgan struck her head against the sturdy stone rail and sank mercifully into unconsciousness.


	14. Chapter 12: Uprising

**~ Chapter 12 ~**

 **Uprising**

When Morgan finally returned to consciousness, she felt rather lightheaded. A curious, tingling sensation ran down the length of her spine, spreading through all of her limbs, as if warning her to keep still. At the same time, her back felt rough and itchy, as if she were lying upon a rough, gravelly surface. She shifted involuntarily, and suddenly, she felt as if her back had been stabbed by thousands of searing needles. "U-ugh…" she moaned softly. Keeping her eyes tightly shut, she instinctively curled up in pain, which unfortunately only made it ten times worse – almost immediately, she found herself wishing she had stayed asleep.

"She's awake," someone nearby announced.

Morgan thought she recognized her older sister's voice. "Sis?" she whimpered piteously.

"Hold still, Morgan," Severa instructed tersely.

Morgan obediently went limp. Then she felt herself being gently turned over onto her belly, and an agonized gasp escaped her lips.

"Here. This should help," Severa said soothingly, though her voice quivered as she spoke. She began spreading a smooth, whitish balm across her younger sister's terribly scarred back. To her relief, Morgan relaxed visibly as the silky paste did its work.

After a short while had passed, the pain receded to little more than a subtle ache, and Morgan finally opened her eyes. "Thanks," she mumbled.

Morgan then managed to turn her head slightly, and saw that she was apparently alone with her sister. She was not lying on the ground as she had thought, but instead had been moved onto a soft and comfortable bed covered in plush sheets. She shivered slightly, suddenly noticing that she had been stripped down to her smallclothes. Her wounds felt as if they had been dressed, perhaps magically so.

When she saw her younger sister shivering, Severa quickly draped a thick, woolen blanket over her. "Yuelle showed me where you keep your staves and healing balm," she explained, confirming Morgan's suspicions. "How do you feel? I know I'm not very good with healing magic."

Morgan pulled her blanket tighter around herself. "I'll be fine, I think," she said quietly. "Umm… what happened, Sis?"

"Don't you remember? You nearly got yourself killed," Severa said testily.

"Did I?" Morgan murmured, straining to remember. "I'm… I'm sorry."

Upon seeing Morgan's confused and uncharacteristically contrite expression, Severa shifted guiltily in her seat. "Don't apologize," she said quickly. "It wasn't your fault. I… I'm the one who wasn't paying attention. You probably saved my life back there. I'm the one who should be sorry."

Morgan turned herself back over, wincing slightly as her blistered and sore back pressed against the smooth bed covers. She then gave her sister a blank look, for her thoughts still remained thoroughly muddled.

"You? Make a mistake?" a familiar voice cut in. "Who are you, and what have you done with our sister?"

At the sound of that voice, Morgan's eyes went wide, and her head suddenly cleared. Images of Leo's Rest and the exploding Sun Spire flashed through her mind, but she didn't dwell upon them for long. Instead, she forced herself to sit upright, and looked to the wooden desk nearby. A small, ornate mirror stood rested there, propped up against a small stack of books.

But instead of her own reflection, Morgan found herself staring straight into the smiling face of her older self. "Morgan?" she gasped. "What are you… how did…?"

"I know how to use these mirrors too, remember?" Severa reminded. "I was on the other end of them when Dad finally got them working all those years ago. I thought I'd check with Morgan and see if there was anything else I could do for you."

"How are you feeling, Morgan?" the older Morgan asked tenderly.

"I'll be fine," the younger girl repeated wearily. "How long have you two been talking? I thought I was almost out of dust for the mirrors."

"That's what I thought, too, but Severa hasn't stopped talking long enough for me to mention it," the older Morgan replied, flashing their older sister a teasing smile. "I'd say we probably have about a minute left."

"We should have plenty of time to talk," Severa argued, hefting a small leather pouch. "I found a second bag of white dust right next to the first one."

"Err… actually, that's salt," the younger Morgan corrected, smiling faintly.

With a suspicious look at the younger Morgan, Severa dipped one finger into the pouch to taste its contents. She scowled when she realized her younger sisters were right.

"It's okay," the older Morgan reassured, though she couldn't quite keep herself from laughing. "I'm just glad to see you're both alright. I've got another batch waiting for you whenever you're ready, Morgan."

"But I haven't even gotten a chance to ask you about everything that's happened in Ylisse!" Severa complained sullenly.

"And I haven't gotten the chance to ask you where you've been all these years, either," the older Morgan retorted, grinning. "So you'd better make it back here safe and sound."

Severa blew out a frustrated sigh. "Of course we will," she said irritably. "We'll probably go see Mom and Dad in Ylisstol, first, though."

The older Morgan stared at Severa quizzically for a moment. Then her eyes lit up, and she glanced towards her younger self. "Are you finally ready to come home?" she asked hopefully.

"I… umm… maybe," the younger Morgan said hesitantly. "Say, Morgan? I told Severa everything about Ellie, and about Dad, too. She says she doesn't think Dad's mad at me anymore. Do you… do you know if she's right?"

The older Morgan smiled warmly when she saw the younger girl's earnest, desperate expression. "Is that really what you've been worried about? All this time?" she asked.

The younger Morgan swallowed and nodded.

"Silly girl," the older Morgan chided, shaking her head. "No one's mad at you. No one was _ever_ mad at you, least of all Dad. He's been beside himself with worry ever since you left. Mom, too."

"And you didn't think to tell her this sooner?" Severa asked dryly.

"It's come for you to come home, Morgan," the older Morgan said insistently, pointedly ignoring Severa.

A serene look came over the younger girl then, and it looked as if an impossibly heavy burden had just been lifted from her shoulders. "Soon," she promised quietly. "Our work here is nearly finished."

The older Morgan smiled and nodded acceptingly, but before she could say anything, the mirror went dark.

"If she has another batch of that strange dust waiting for you, can't she just reactivate the mirror from her end?" Severa asked grumpily. "You only need to use the dust on one of the two mirrors, right? I still have a billion questions for her."

"She could, but she knows we'll see each other soon," Morgan said. She shifted experimentally, and when the pain came less sharply than before, she tried to climb out of bed.

"Oh no you don't," Severa said, reaching out and holding her still. "You're not going anywhere. Not yet, at least."

Deciding it best not to argue – for now, at least – Morgan nodded and remained still. "Where are we, Sis?" she asked curiously.

"You don't remember this place?" Severa asked, frowning. "This is Bayn's hideout, beneath the carpenter's shop. Remember?"

With great effort, Morgan managed to turn herself around, and saw the ladder leading up to the trapdoor. The bed and desk were new, but the rest of the room remained the same. "Oh," she said. "Where's everyone else?"

"Helios, Trance, and Ferus are supposed to be laying low. They're probably not too far from here," Severa said with a shrug. "Owain was here with us until about half an hour ago. After the Solcryst lit up, he said he'd go find us some breakfast."

A shadow briefly flickered across Morgan's expression, unnoticed by her older sister. "What about Bayn?" Morgan asked quietly. "Has anyone told him about what happened atop the Sun Spire?"

"Of course," Severa nodded. "We all warped directly here after that crystal exploded. Trance and Ferus went and brought Bayn here. When Bayn saw the shape you were in, he brought us this bed and some rags and stuff. The others told him everything while I was…"

"Everything?" Morgan interrupted sharply.

"Well, everything that happened in Leo's Rest, anyways," Severa amended. "We told him that we found the coast, too, and how because of it, you thought the Sun Spires were related to the Nightmares."

"Oh," Morgan said, thankful that the others hadn't attempted to explain everything else they had discovered. "Where is he now?"

"No idea," Severa said. "Probably at his post?"

"I need to speak with him," Morgan declared, freeing herself from her blanket and searching about for her robes."

"You need to stay put," Severa countered firmly. She retrieved the blanket, and wrapped it around her struggling sister.

"Sis! We don't have time to argue!" Morgan protested. "If we're going to fix Monolith, we'll have to do it tonight, before the Sun Guard has had time to prepare for us."

"And how exactly are we going to 'fix' Monolith?" Severa asked exasperatedly. "Even if the Sun Spires _are_ responsible for the Nightmares, we can't just destroy them while there are still thousands of people depending on them. We don't even know how we destroyed that last one, anyways."

"We didn't, and the Sun Spires aren't our problem," Morgan said, shaking her head. "Let me go fetch Bayn and the other Seekers, and I'll explain everything." _Almost_ everything, she corrected herself silently.

For a long while, Severa said nothing, and only stared thoughtfully into Morgan's determined expression. "I know I'm going to regret asking this," she finally said. "But… are you sure this time, Morgan?"

"Absolutely," Morgan promised evenly, without even the slightest trace of hesitation.

Severa stared at her younger sister suspiciously for several moments longer, then sighed. "Alright," she gave in. "You stay here and get yourself dressed. The clothes you bought here in Sol Hearth got torn up pretty badly in the explosion, but I saw your old coat and clothes in your pouch while searching for your staves. I'll go fetch Bayn for you."

"Hel, too," Morgan pleaded. "And as many other Seekers as Bayn can round up."

Severa groaned, but managed a slight nod. "Fine. I'll see what I can do," she reluctantly agreed.

* * *

Finding Bayn proved to be relatively easy; not knowing where else to begin, Severa decided to start with the gate at which she and the others had first arrived in Sol Hearth. She ran into Helios on the way there, and together, and found Bayn at the gate soon after. With Bayn's help, finding more of the Seekers proved to be a simple task.

Discreetly returning to Bayn's underground hideout proved to be a bit more challenging. The market district was already quite crowded despite the early hour. Thankfully, the carpenter's shop wasn't overly popular. With the help of the proprietor – who appeared to be a good friend of, if not related to Bayn – the Seekers slowly filtered down into the hideout, a handful at a time.

Naturally, Severa insisted on returning alongside the first group, and as soon as the shop was clear, she, Helios, and Bayn climbed down into the secret chamber. To their collective surprise, most of the furniture had been stacked neatly against the walls. Morgan was perched upon her bed, which protruded from the bottom of the orderly pile. Owain was standing beside her, and looked to be at a complete loss. A basket full of sandwiches sat forlornly in the corner of the room.

"You two have been busy, I see," Bayn remarked, eyeing the pile of furniture.

"I'll put it all back when we're finished," Morgan promised quickly. "I'm sorry for moving it all without asking. I didn't know how many of the Seekers would be coming, and I wanted to make sure there'd be enough space for everyone."

Just then, Trance, Ferus, and three more Seekers that Morgan did not recognized climbed down.

"It's alright, lass," Bayn said reassuringly. "Truth be told, I'm more worried about you than the furniture. Are you sure you should be up and about so soon? That was quite the beating you took last night."

"I'll be okay. Besides, there's no time to waste," Morgan said. She hopped to her feet and waved to Helios, who casually waved back.

Another group of Seekers entered silently, shortly followed by a fourth group. A few were members of the Sun Guard, but most appeared to be civilians, including a young woman barely older than Morgan herself and an elderly man who could only remain upright with the help of his walking stick.

The trapdoor closed again, and a clattering noise signaled the shop's proprietor replacing the floorboards. "That's everyone," Bayn said, after taking a quick headcount.

"Really? These are all the Seekers left in Sol Hearth?" Morgan asked, a worried look upon her face.

"Hardly," Bayn said. "But most of our order have their regular lives to attend you. Sol Hearth has been in a complete uproar ever since Leo's Rest went dark. We're already taking a great risk in so many of us gathering at such a critical time."

Morgan nodded her acceptance. "Fair enough… but before we go any further, everyone here should know that what I'm about to tell you will likely put you all in even greater danger," she warned. "If any of you are afraid at all, this is your last chance to back away from all of this."

"If any of us were afraid, we wouldn't be here," Ferus said. "Each and every one of us knew the risks when we became what we are."

Morgan looked to each of the Seekers in turn. Most of them returned her look curiously, though none of them moved to leave, or even wavered in the slightest. Morgan then glanced at Helios, the only member of her audience – with the exception of her sister and Owain – who hadn't been part of the Seekers. Helios, too, remained still, but he wore an oddly distant look, as if he were barely listening. When he finally noticed Morgan staring his way, he only nodded.

"Alright, then," Morgan finally said. "Let's start with the Sun Spires. The Sun Spires in Aquila's Ascent and Leo's Rest were both destroyed by someone within the Sun Guard."

The young tactician's declaration was met with a stunned silence, even from those who had been traveling beside her.

"B-by the Sun Guard?" Bayn finally sputtered. "How?"

"We were standing atop of the Sun Spire in Leo's Rest last night," Morgan explained. "We had a few minutes to study the crystal before it exploded. The crystal held less magical energy than I expected, and far too little to keep giving off light the way the Sun Spires normally do."

"And how were you able to discern that?" the oldest of the Seekers interrupted. The kindly old man leaned forward on his walking stick as he spoke, seeming more curious than accusing.

"My friends and I come from some place very far away," Morgan admitted, indicating Severa and Owain. "Where we grew up, studying magic is quite normal. Well, maybe not _normal_ , but at least it's allowed."

"Some place far away? Preposterous!" one of the other Seekers scoffed.

Having expected as much, Morgan was ready. She drew her tome, and willed its power forth. A small fireball formed in her hand, and she flicked it up into the air, where it promptly dissipated. "Believe what you will," the young tactician replied serenely. "We don't have a lot of time, so if you aren't convinced, then you may as well leave now."

Most of the Seekers stared at Morgan's tome in shock, until the aged Seeker from before finally broke the silence. "Then let's say we believe you," he said. "What do your findings mean? You claim that the Sun Spire in Leo's Rest could not have remained lit, but until last night, its light has never once faltered."

"I said the Sun Spire could not have been sustaining its light," Morgan corrected. "The Sun Spires are not creating their own light. They are drawing their power from the Solcryst. That's why only six of the Sun Spires were built; the Solcryst has its limits, too."

"The Sun Spires draw their light from the Solcryst?" Bayn asked incredulously.

"Yes, but that's not all," Morgan continued. "The Solcryst magically shields the Sun Spires from harm, and when the Sun Guard realized that the Sun Spire in Leo's Rest had been captured, they overloaded it with magical energy, destroying it in hopes of killing us. Something similar must have happened in Aquila's Ascent. My guess is that the Sun Guard knew that you Seekers were planning a raid upon Aquila's Sun Spire, and destroyed the city outright, both to keep you from studying the Sun Spire and to scare you away from trying again in the future."

Everyone in the room stared at Morgan in shock. The ensuing silence was nearly palpable.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Bayn spoke up. "Those are some rather grave accusations, lass," he warned.

"And yet, that's the least of your problems," Morgan pressed on. "Your legends have deceived you; the sun is still out there, as are the moon and stars."

"It cannot be," one of the other Seekers – a middle-aged, balding man – murmured.

"It's true," Trance spoke up. "Ferus and I have both seen the sun rising with our very own eyes. It is every bit as bright as the legends say."

"But we had to go very far away in order to see it," Ferus added, concerned. "Even if they are there, they may as well be gone, as far as Monolith is concerned."

"And that, too, is the fault of the Solcryst," Morgan proclaimed boldly. "That's the answer you've been chasing for so long. That's the Sun Guard's greatest secret. The Solcryst isn't creating light… it steals the light from the sky and uses it to fuel its own magic. That magic sends a light extending past the Reaches by day, and keeps the Sun Spires perpetually lit. That magic protects or destroys the Sun Spires at the Sun Guard's whim. That magic empowers the Sun Forge and your weapons, and probably the magical lights within Sol Sanctus, too. And, worst of all, that same magic spawns the Necrotic Wraiths, the enemies you've come to know as Nightmares."

As she finished, Morgan gritted her teeth, bracing herself for a flood of doubt, mockery, and scorn.

What she didn't expect was for the old Seeker who had spoken up before to simply burst out laughing. Morgan bowed her head, crestfallen; she had known that convincing the others would not be easy, but the old man's reaction still stung.

"Enough," Helios spoke up suddenly, a feral gleam appearing in his eyes as he glared at the older man. "We put ourselves in terrible danger to get you the answers you so desperately craved, especially these three, who are not from Monolith and had nothing to gain in helping us. If you will not listen to her or take her seriously, so be it, but you will _not_ ridicule her efforts!" he growled protectively.

"Hel, it's okay," Morgan tried to interrupt, but her voice was drowned out by Ferus, who seemed nearly as angry as Helios was.

"Watch your words, Helios," Ferus barked. "You have no right to speak to Grandmaster Zen this way."

With a jolt, Morgan suddenly understood why, so far, no one had contradicted or disagreed with the old Seeker.

Helios, on the other hand, seemed to grow only more incensed upon learning the old man's identity. "I have every right to…" he began.

"You are welcome to speak to me however you like," Zen interrupted. "But I'm afraid you've misunderstood me, Helios. As has your young friend, judging from her wounded expression." He looked at Morgan and smiled warmly. "Young lady, your claims are not as outlandish as you seem to believe."

This time, Morgan seemed every bit as lost as the other Seekers in the room.

"It is said that the greatest deceptions carry within them a seed of truth," Zen continued. "I was as surprised as any when the Sun Guard cast me out, accusing me of conspiring to destroy the Solcryst. Long have I wondered how they had come by such a ludicrous tale. Now, in light of what you have revealed to us today, the truth becomes clear."

Relief flooded through Morgan as she saw that the Seekers – or at least the Seekers' unofficial leader – did understand, after all.

"The Sun Guard feared for the Solcryst's safety because they knew that if the truth were to become known, the Solcryst would be endangered," Zen reasoned. His voice remained smooth and calm, but there was a hint of excitement behind it that he couldn't quite disguise.

"You believe her, then?" Bayn asked.

"Was it not you, Bayn, who informed me this morning of the sudden and unprecedented reassignments?" Zen reminded. "The Sun Guard is quite obviously afraid, and with good reason."

"Reassignments? What reassignments?" Severa blurted, just as Morgan was about to ask the same thing.

"Four new patrols were assembled just this morning," Bayn explained. "Each was given instructions to travel to one of the four Reaches, and to remain there, defending the Sun Spires until further notice."

"That's only sensible, given that two of the Sun Spires have been destroyed," Severa reasoned.

"Indeed, but the patrols consist entirely of individuals who the Sun Guard suspects to be of our order," Bayn added grimly. "At the same time, several dozen promotions were also sent out this morning, and several new patrols have been assigned to the defense of Sol Sanctus itself."

"Already?" Morgan gasped.

"What do you mean 'already'?" Severa frowned.

Morgan shuffled her feet nervously. "I knew the Sun Guard would react this way," she said. "I sensed someone watching us last night, atop the Sun Spire. The Sun Guard knows that we know the truth. They know the Solcryst is in danger, so they're pushing their known enemies away while redoubling Sol Sanctus's defenses."

"Then why did you sound so surprised just now?" Owain asked.

"Because I was expecting them to wait, at least until the survivors from Leo's Rest arrive here in Sol Hearth," Morgan said. "Officially, they still have no idea what happened in Leo's Rest."

"They're acting prematurely, as far as the rest of Sol Hearth is concerned," Zen agreed. "If they were hoping to maintain the illusion of control, they would have waited, so that their decision could appear more calculated and deliberate. Instead, they've put Sol Hearth into a state of fear and panic."

"Because they're afraid," Bayn realized aloud.

"Their deceptions have been unwoven, their reign jeopardized," Owain said solemnly.

"Whatever their claims to the general populace, the Sun Guard had no reason to believe that we Seekers had any intention of destroying the Monolith," Zen said. "At least until now. Now they're afraid, for a legitimate threat to the Solcryst has risen."

"We are to destroy the Solcryst, then?" one of the Seekers asked doubtfully. "Are we to commit the one crime that we've been falsely accused of conspiring towards?"

"That's for you to decide," Morgan spoke up suddenly, before Zen or Bayn could respond. "You all know that the Sun Guard has been keeping careful watch over its soldiers. They've probably been keeping an eye on Sol Hearth's civilians, too. If you choose to do nothing now, the Sun Guard will work towards eliminating any and every threat to the Solcryst, which includes everyone who knows the truth."

"Pleasant thought," Ferus grumbled.

"So you really only have two choices," Morgan said. "You can act now, and try to fight your way past the Sun Guard before they're fully prepared for you. Destroy the Solcryst, and the darkness will fade. The Nightmares that already exist will remain, but they'll be the last. Your roads will gradually become safer, and your people will no longer be confined to Sol Hearth and the Reaches."

"If we succeed, that is," Zen interrupted quietly.

"But if you're not prepared to challenge the Sun Guard," Morgan went on. "Then it's time for the Seekers to disband. You know the truth now, and your lives are in danger because of that truth. From here on out, the Sun Guard will only become more relentless and merciless."

"They will do everything within their power to stamp the truth down once more," Zen said, nodding his understanding. "With each passing day, our chances of escaping their notice will dwindle. They will grow stronger, and us weaker."

"Exactly," Morgan said. "I don't know what will happen if you strike tonight. Maybe you'll win, or maybe you'll all be wiped out instead. All I know is that your chances now are better than they'll ever be again."

Despite her soft and young voice, the weight of Morgan's words descended upon the Seekers heavily. Realizing that the Seekers would need some time to consider the ultimatum she had presented them with, the young tactician nodded and stepped aside. She, Severa, and Owain quietly moved to join Helios in the room's distant corner.

* * *

"Do you truly mean to allow such a bastion of evil and injustice to go unchallenged?" Owain asked Morgan in a hushed tone.

"If they're already bringing reinforcements into Sol Sanctus, there isn't much that we three can do on our own," Morgan reminded. "Besides," she added, gesturing towards the Seekers, "This is their home, and their lives at stake. If they decide not to go to war, it's not fair for us to push them into one, especially when we can't be sure of the outcome."

"In a war, no one can be certain of anything," Severa warned.

"I know," Morgan said wearily.

"Morgan, are you _sure_ the Solcryst is responsible for the Nightmares and the darkness?" Severa asked. "I know it all fits, but if you're wrong, destroying it could prove catastrophic."

"I'm not wrong," Morgan insisted stubbornly. "Didn't you notice how the further we were from Sol Hearth, the fewer Nightmares there were? Once we reached the coast without finding anyone or anything else, I knew the Nightmares had to be coming from Monolith itself. I suspected the Sun Spires at first, but…"

"…but they don't have any power of their own," Severa finished. "But what if it's something else? Something entirely unrelated to the Solcryst?"

"Then someone must have noticed it by now," Morgan said. "Magic that powerful is impossible to fully conceal. It has to be hiding in plain sight, and if it were anything but the Solcryst, we would have heard _something_ about it by now." Then, as if seeking further affirmation, she turned to Helios. The rogue Sun Guard had been conspicuously silent so far. "What do you think, Hel?" Morgan prompted quietly.

Helios turned to her in surprise, his expression making it clear that he hadn't been listening.

"Is something wrong?" Morgan asked, growing worried.

Helios grimaced, and paused for several seconds before answering. "They're gone," he finally said, his voice sounding hoarse.

"Gone?" Morgan asked blankly. "Who's gone?"

"Tohl and Cress," Helios clarified. "I went searching for them earlier. Tohl was transferred away this morning, according to his patrol leader. I couldn't find any sign of Cress, either."

With a wince, Morgan recalled the notes on Crescent's record from within Sol Sanctus, particularly one of the lines that had been scribed in red.

"This is my fault," Helios said. "The Sun Guard suspected me already, and both Tohl and Cress were mentioned on my record. The Sun Guard must have sent them both out to the Reaches because of me."

"You don't know that. The Sun Guard may have had other reasons to suspect them," Severa insisted.

"Like what?" Helios asked. He laughed grimly, though he kept his voice down so as to not disturb the Seekers. "Tohl's always been a model Sun Guard: obedient, loyal, dedicated, and a decent fighter to boot. Cress is… well, Cress. She's always been too nice for her own good, keeping her head down and staying out of trouble even when she should've been standing up for herself."

"She snuck away from her post to check on you without even knowing for sure if you had made it here," Severa reminded. "And you told us she would sneak out of the city to go hunting for Nightmares."

"What can I say? I'm a bad influence," Helios smiled weakly, though his meager attempt at humor faltered quickly.

"I'm sorry, Hel," Morgan said sympathetically. "Do you want us to help you search for them? I don't have much warp powder left, but I can spare enough for you to visit each of the remaining Reaches, if you'd like."

Helios began shaking his head even before Morgan finished her sentence. "Thank you, Morgan. It's tempting, but it wouldn't do them or anyone else any good," he said. "They should be safe enough for now. It's just… I feel awful, getting them both involved like this."

"They were already involved," Morgan reminded gently. "This is about Monolith and all of its people, even if many of them don't know about it."

Helios sighed. "I guess you're right," he conceded. "Morgan, if we all make it through this alive…"

"We'll help you find them once this is all over," Morgan promised.

Helios nodded gratefully. "Thanks," he said, smiling shakily. "Though, I don't know how I'd even begin to explain everything that's happened."

"With any luck, it'll be easier with the sun shining overheard," Morgan offered, smiling optimistically. She then noticed Zen and Bayn signaling for her attention, and turned her attention back towards the Seekers. "I guess it's time for us to see where we're headed next," she muttered.

* * *

"The Seekers has made their decision," Zen said, and although it was clear that he spoke for the rest of his order, his careful choice in words did not escape Morgan's notice.

" _Their_ decision?" Morgan echoed questioningly.

"I am old, child. I can no longer handle a blade the way I once could," Zen solemnly explained. "As I have little to offer them now, and even less to lose, I have no say in this matter myself."

"Your vision led us to where are stand now, Grandmaster Zen," Bayn reminded. "Each of us gladly chose to make that vision our own, and we'd just as gladly follow it through to the end."

"If you have truly made the vision your own, then you no longer need me to guide you," Zen said with a grin. "And truly, you have all taken to heart the wishful dreams of the idealistic and reckless young man I once was."

Bayn bowed his head respectfully, then turned to Morgan. "We will rally every last Seeker that remains within Sol Hearth, and reveal the truth to every man and woman who will listen. As soon as we are gathered, we will march upon Sol Sanctus. Though none of us had imagined it would ever come to this, we will set out to do exactly as the Sun Guard has feared. We will destroy the Solcryst."

It was the answer that Morgan had wanted to hear, yet she could not quite manage to smile, for she could see a slew of pitfalls waiting in Bayn's plan. "If you mean to attack Sol Sanctus, would you like my help or advice?" she offered hopefully.

"We would greatly appreciate both, as a matter of fact," Bayn said. He smiled faintly, as if to acknowledge his many remaining doubts and fears.

"Then before you contact the rest of the Seekers, there's a few things you should keep in mind," Morgan said. "Firstly, you don't want to attack until after the Solcryst dims tonight."

"Will that not allow the Sun Guard more time to prepare?" Owain pointed out.

There was a slight pause before Morgan answered. "Not enough time to make a difference," she insisted stubbornly. "But if you march now, or within a few hours of now, most of Sol Hearth's civilians will be caught in your path. If you wait until nightfall, the streets, at least, should be clear."

Severa gave Morgan a curious look, for she alone had noticed the younger girl's hesitation. She then looked quickly to Bayn, hiding her surprise in fear of ruining whatever her sister had planned.

Bayn did not seem entirely convinced by Morgan's reasoning, but he nodded his assent anyways. "Alright," he agreed. "We will strike as soon as the Solcryst dims. What else?"

"Secondly, you should be careful about when and how much you tell the rest of your allies," Morgan warned. "Amidst all the other preparations that must be made, we won't have the time to explain the situation to each of your followers individually. Your best bet will be to gather them all just before you commence your attack, then tell them the truth all together. Then, if any of the Seekers choose to back out, they'd be free to do so, but it would be too late for them to turn against you."

"None of our allies will betray our cause now," Bayn said, his expression hardening at the notion.

"Captain Bayn," Trance interrupted. "With all due respect, I believe Morgan is right. Yesterday, I thought the same thing myself, when we tried to warn the other Seekers in Leo's Rest of our intent. Our plan was nearly foiled when one of those we warned panicked and went to the Sun Guard. We can't afford to take that chance tonight."

"Alright," Bayn agreed reluctantly. "Anything else, lass?"

"Just one more problem," Morgan said, glancing at Helios as she spoke. "From what I've heard, the second floor of the Sol Sanctus is mostly made up of living quarters for the Sun Guard. Is that true?"

"Indeed," Bayn nodded.

"Then that's where you'll encounter the most resistance," Morgan reasoned. "Once you storm Sol Sanctus, any of the Sun Guard resting within Sol Sanctus will greet you on the first two floors, and reinforcements will be summoned from all around the city, too. Even if you manage to force your way through, the Sun Guard will pursue you all the way up the tower."

"That could prove disastrous," Bayn said. "The upper floors of Sol Sanctus are frequently patrolled. If those patrols impede our progress at all, we'll be quickly surrounded and outnumbered."

"Then let me lead a strike force up towards the Solcryst instead," Morgan offered. "Lend me a few of your stronger fighters if you can spare them. We can break into Sol Sanctus the way my friends and I did before, bypassing the first few floors. The rest of your forces can work towards capturing the lower levels, and holding enemy reinforcements at bay from a defensive position."

"The upper floors are heavily patrolled even under normal circumstances, and will be even more fortified now," Bayn warned.

"I know," Morgan acknowledged.

"And you will also have to contend with the Sun Warden," Bayn added. "No one's really certain what the Sun Warden is, let alone what it may be capable of."

"I'll figure something out," Morgan promised. "I know a thing or two about magic, remember?"

"This isn't sounding like much of a plan," Ferus observed.

"Do any of you have a better idea?" Morgan asked bluntly.

Bayn still seemed rather unsure, but without any alternatives to offer, he caved in. "Alright, lass," he surrendered. "I imagine you're quite aware of the risks. If you're still sure you want to do this, you'll have your strike force."

"Thank you, Captain," Morgan said, hiding her relief as best she could. She tried to bow politely, but flinched when her back began aching again.

The young tactician's painful wince did not escape Bayn's notice. "Provided, of course, that you rest up between now and then," Bayn amended sternly. "Like the rest of us, you'll need every last bit of your strength tonight."

"Okay. Sure," Morgan agreed quickly.

"Will there be anything else? If not, we'll begin making our preparations," Bayn said, suddenly keen to bring the meeting to a close. When Morgan only nodded, Bayn moved and softly rapped his knuckles against the trapdoor. "Rest well, lass," Bayn instructed Morgan in an unyielding tone.

"I will," Morgan promised, waving cheerily as the trapdoor opened and the Seekers began filtering out of the hideout.

* * *

When Bayn returned to the hideout several hours later, he was dismayed, but not overly surprised to see that Morgan was still up and about. She, Severa, Owain, and Helios were all dressed for battle, their weapons prominently displayed. The room's furniture had been returned to its proper state of disorder, and Morgan's bed was littered with a wide assortment of odds and ends which the young tactician appeared to be trying to sort through.

"Welcome back," Severa greeted, amused by the sight of Bayn's perplexed expression. "How are your preparations coming along?"

"About as well as we could have hoped, given that we just decided to storm the most fortified building in all of Monolith with less than twelve hours to plan our attack," Bayn said. His gaze remained fixed upon a pile of unlabeled glass bottles and leather pouches, each small enough to fit in the palm of Morgan's hand. "What is all this… stuff?" the former Sun Guard captain asked, trying and failing to find a word adequate to describe the young tactician's collection.

" _Our_ preparations," Helios explained, grinning and sharing in Severa's amusement.

"Here, Hel. This one's for you," Morgan interrupted. She tossed Helios a small phial containing a pale, creamy liquid with a faint pinkish hue.

"For me?" Helios asked, surprised.

"Yep. Drink It right before we begin our climb," Morgan instructed.

Any trace of humor disappeared from Helios's face. "Drink this?" he asked dubiously, staring at the phial's contents.

"Yep," Morgan said again. "Don't worry. It's not bitter."

"I don't think it's the taste he's worried about," Severa laughed, though her laughter died away when Morgan passed a second identical phial to her, then a third to Owain. "What's this for, Morgan?" she asked in a more serious tone.

"It's just an herbal tonic," Morgan said, taking the fourth and final phial and knotting it carefully into her sash. "There's an apothecary back in Ylisstol that sells all sorts of these. Some make you faster or stronger, others can help you steady your hands or dull any pain you might feel."

"And what does this one do?" Helios asked nervously, swirling his phial and taking note of the way the viscous liquid clung to the glass.

"Just about everything. I mixed a bunch of them together, then reduced the mixture over a fire so that it wouldn't take up as much space, and finally added some honey to sweeten the mixture up," Morgan explained happily.

Morgan's cavalier attitude didn't bring her sister or Helios any comfort, but Owain seemed to take the words to heart easily enough. "Such magnanimous power rests within this diminutive, fragile vessel, waiting patiently to awaken my hidden potential," he whispered, moving to uncork his phial.

"Don't drink it yet, Owain," Morgan interrupted. "Its effects only last for a few hours, so you don't want to drink it until just before we're ready." She then turned to Bayn. "Captain, have you decided how many of the Seekers will be accompanying us?"

"Trance and Ferus volunteered almost immediately, as did several others," Bayn replied. "And, truthfully, I would like to accompany you myself if possible. How large of a force were you hoping for?"

"Not too large," Morgan said thoughtfully. "You, Trance, and Ferus accompanying us will be just about perfect. As soon as the fighting begins, the eight of us can climb straight up to the fourth floor from outside the tower. Any more, and we'll risk getting caught before we all make it inside."

"Eight?" Bayn frowned.

Morgan jostled her hood slightly, and Yuelle fluttered out of it before perching herself atop Morgan's shoulder instead. "Eight," Morgan confirmed, leaving Bayn at a complete loss for words. She passed another phial of the pinkish liquid to Bayn – who nearly missed catching it – then knotted another two phials into her belt. "How much longer do we have before the battle begins?"

"A-about an hour," Bayn stammered, recovering some of his poise.

Morgan sighed. "This will have to do, then," she decided. She roughly shoveled most of her belongings back into her pouch, then carefully arranged the rest on top, leaving out only a pile of small, blue ceramic jars. "Each of you should take two of these," she said.

"Healing elixirs," Severa, who recognized the distinctive jars at once, explained to Helios and Bayn.

As soon as each of the others had taken two of the jars as instructed, Morgan gathered up the remaining five, binding them carefully to her sash.

Confident that they were as ready as they'd ever be, Morgan tucked her pouch into her sash as well, then made her way towards the ladder, a determined look upon her face.


	15. Chapter 13: Tohl

**~ Chapter 13 ~**

 **Tohl**

As soon as Morgan slipped through the compromised window, she scanned the hallway, hoping that their discreet entrance had gone unnoticed. The welcoming, luxurious corridors of Sol Sanctus remained unchanged from how she remembered them. Thankfully, they were also deserted. Though they were several floors away from the fighting below, a chorus of shouts and the sound of clashing steel echoed faintly from the lower floors.

Morgan nodded, satisfied. "All clear," she announced, before turning and offering a hand to Ferus, who was still making his way up the rope. The young Seeker was trembling, and seemed desperate to avoid looking down.

"Thanks," Ferus mumbled grudgingly, climbing through the window with Morgan's help. Once inside, he stepped aside and crouched down, closing his eyes as if to steady himself. His brother was the next to ascend the rope. Unlike Ferus, Trance remained beside Morgan to help Severa, Owain, Helios, and finally, Bayn, as they climbed up one after another.

After stashing her equipment, Morgan looked over her belongings one last time to see if everything was still in order. "Oh, right. The tonics," she said, realizing that she had forgotten to drink hers before beginning their climb. A quick glance at the others confirmed that none of the others had taken theirs, either.

"The what?" Trance asked, puzzled.

Morgan unclipped the two extra tonics she had brought with her, passing one to each Trance and Ferus, then drank her own. Severa and Owain drank theirs as well, with Helios and Bayn reluctantly following suit a moment after.

"What is it?" Ferus scowled. Like Helios, he seemed to find the viscous liquid a bit disconcerting.

"It'll make you stronger for a while. Drink up!" Morgan instructed, opting for a shorter explanation this time. She then passed two healing elixirs to each of the twins. "If you get hurt, drink one of these. It'll close the wound and dull the pain a bit."

"Are we all set, then?" Bayn asked, and there was a definite, worried note in his voice. Though he tried his best to hide it, he seemed to be second-guessing his decision to allow Morgan to lead.

"We're all set," Morgan said evenly. Though Bayn's doubts stung a little, she couldn't really fault the wary Seeker. Their plan – her plan, that is – was a little bit crazy, after all. She drew her tome from her sash. "Let's go, everyone."

The others drew their weapons from their sheaths, too, except for Bayn, who unstrapped a heavy poleaxe from his back, and Severa. Severa, opting for her bow rather than her glaive, nocked and arrow and held it loosely before moving to follow directly behind Morgan. The others fell in line behind her.

Morgan paused for only a moment longer, listening again for the sounds of fighting. She then started down the decorated hallway in the opposite direction. Shortly after, she and her friends came upon a wide staircase leading up to the next level. At the top of the steps awaited one of the large, two-floored chambers that Morgan remembered seeing during her first visit to Sol Sanctus.

Unfortunately, the chamber was a little bit different this time, for it now played host to a full score of soldiers, dressed in the elaborately decorated armor and robes of the Sun Guard Second Class.

* * *

When Severa noticed her sister slowing and tensing up, she knew a fight had found them, even before seeing their enemies herself. She swiftly pushed her way past Morgan, drawing back her bowstring as she went. Ignoring her nearest opponents, she scanned the upper walkways instead. She found what she was looking for almost immediately: a pair of enemy archers standing above them, bows in hand.

Before any of the stunned Sun Guard soldiers could react, Severa loosed her first arrow, cutting down one of the two archers. Without waiting to see if she had hit her mark, Severa scrambled for a nearby statue, her long hair streaming wildly behind her as she took cover behind the marble sculpture's outstretched wings.

Faced with a personal threat, the remaining Sun Guard archer predictably ignored Morgan, directing his attention towards Severa instead. He was too late, though, and his first arrow glanced harmlessly off of the statue the red-haired woman had tucked herself behind. The frustrated Sun Guard cursed loudly as he readied a second arrow, but was forced to duck behind the railing when Severa retaliated in kind.

The Sun Guard archer rose to fire again, hoping to strike before his opponent could ready another arrow. His target had already retreated to safety once more, though, and before he could decide upon his next move, a wave of magical fire engulfed him wholly. He shrieked in agony and threw himself to the ground, twisting and writhing in hopes of extinguishing the flames.

Down below, on the chamber's lower floor, two Sun Guard lancers had been gradually advancing towards Morgan. They had been thrown off by their opponent's youth and exotic clothing, and the sight of the young tactician's devastating fire spell took them both further aback. When they found the curious red tome leveled their way next, they scattered, crying out in horror.

Morgan promptly ignored the cowardly pair, and swung her tome far to the right instead. Another blast of fire leapt from her hands, incinerating an armored Sun Guard as he tried to descend from the walkway above. Morgan's spell left behind a towering, sizzling inferno, neatly blocking off the staircase, however temporarily. "Take the left, Hel," Morgan instructed calmly, indicating the only remaining staircase leading up to the walkway.

"As you bid," Helios said, catching on at once. He drew his swords and surged past Morgan, weaving past a stumbling Sun Guard lancer and reaching the staircase only just in time to cut off more reinforcements from the upper walkway.

In the meantime, Bayn led the others in a charge, brandishing his poleaxe. Like Helios, he already understood Morgan's intent, and quickly positioned himself to cover the robed swordsman from behind.

"Traitor!" one of the Sun Guard lancers snarled, pressing on undaunted.

Bayn winced in discomfort, realizing that many – if not all – of their present opponents were unaware of the Sun Guard's treachery. He did not hesitate for long, however, and after knocking his opponent's glaive askew, Bayn cut down his first victim with a single, powerful swipe.

Seven others remained on the lower floor, and all seven of them charged Bayn together, hoping to surround him. In a flash, Trance and Ferus arrived at their powerful captain's side. The three worked in tandem, keeping their opponents at bay. The effectiveness of Morgan's tonics became evident then; with their enhanced strength and sharpened reflexes, the three Seekers were more than a match for the seven Sun Guard loyalists they battled.

Unlike the twins, Owain kept himself clear of the fighting at first, preferring to face his opponents one at a time, if possible. He slid carefully along the edge of the wild melee, awaiting the perfect opening. Finally, he homed in on an enemy swordsman who had inadvertently stepped away from his allies. "You can't hide from me!" Owain boasted, leaping forward and slashing savagely.

The Sun Guard swordsman spun around in shock. He raised his sword in a meager attempt to parry, but Owain proved too strong. Steel clashed against steel, and the Sun Guard's gleaming, curved sword flew from his grasp, clattering loudly against the chamber's smoothly polished floor. Owain attacked again, and the Sun Guard stumbled away, tripping and falling in the process. "Ware! Attackers from behind!" he shouted out.

Two of the fallen man's companions immediately turned and rushed to his aid, but one collapsed immediately, an arrow buried in his chest, as Severa rejoined the fray. With her help, Owain soon cemented his advantage over his two remaining foes.

As she had done during their battle against the wraiths in the wilderness, Morgan remained safely behind her friends, studying the battle carefully as she tried to determine where she was most needed. Her barrier of magical flames had already flickered and faded, but the Sun Guard defenders upon the walkway were too busy trying to force their way past Helios to have noticed. The former Sun Guard has risen to the challenge admirably; though he battled two enemy swordsmen at once, his opponents seemed incapable of slipping a blade through his immaculate defenses. In fact, it looked as if the Sun Guard defenders were the ones losing ground.

Then, without warning, Helios fell back several steps, giving his opponents ample time to recover. "Morgan! Enemy reinforcements from the hallway!" he warned.

At Helios's words, Morgan instinctively looked towards the chamber's left wall, to where a wide entryway connected the chamber with another long corridor. Sure enough, three more armored Sun Guard soldiers were advancing, each armed with a poleaxe like Bayn's.

Morgan briefly considered challenging the three new combatants herself, but dismissed the notion almost immediately; she had never battled enemies carrying such weapons before, and if she were to be outmatched, she would be too far for her allies to come to her aid. "Hel, can you…" she began.

"I'm on it," Helios agreed, turning and racing off to meet the three incoming soldiers.

Morgan bravely stepped forward to cover Helios's post at the foot of the staircase, silently hoping that she wasn't overestimating her friend… or herself.

* * *

Unlike Morgan, there was no doubt in Helios's mind whatsoever as he sprinted to intercept his newest opponents. Despite the gravity of their situation, a strange feeling of exhilaration came over him. Ironically, though he now fought alone, he did not feel nearly as alone as he had during the frequent skirmishes against the Nightmares along the walls of Aquila's Ascent. His allies had placed their faith in him, and he knew he could trust them in return. That, in itself, was all the difference he could have asked for.

Then Helios stopped in his tracks, noticing the familiar, swaggering gait of one of the three incoming Sun Guard soldiers. His confidence promptly gave way to dread, and any thought of Morgan and the others flew from his mind. He already knew who the approaching man was, but he stared, stupefied, as the heavily armored Sun Guard removed his helmet, revealing a fierce, wolfish face and a head of messy auburn hair.

"See to the others. Leave this one to me," Tohl instructed his two companions.

Helios remained frozen for a moment longer, but when the other two Sun Guards tried to slide past him, poleaxes readied, the robed swordsman snapped out of his stupor. "That's not going to happen," he said flatly, brandishing his swords menacingly.

"Hel, please," Tohl interrupted calmingly. "Don't make things worse for…"

That was as far as he got when his two companions ran out of patience. Both of them charged at Helios, poleaxes leveled parallel to the ground, trusting in their heavy armor to protect them from their opponent's slender blades.

Helios exploded into motion, launching a wild flurry of attacks to distract his two foes as he shifted his balance. Before either of the two Sun Guards could even think of counterattacking, the robed swordsman rushed to the side, slapping one blade across his nearest foe's helmet blindingly.

The dazed soldier tried to back away but lost his footing. He tumbled helplessly to the ground instead, accidentally shoving his ally aside in the process. Helios was quick to capitalize upon the opening, precisely inserting his second sword into a seam in the fallen soldier's armor.

The second of the two soldiers was quick to react, kicking his dead companion and flinging one of Helios's swords aside at the same time. The ruthless Sun Guard then charged, hoping to press his apparent advantage.

But Helios was just as comfortable fighting with one sword as he was with two. He knew better than to attempt to block a heavy poleaxe directly, and instead deflected it just enough to dance around the heavy, clumsy weapon. From there, a clever flick of his wrist left a deep gash in his opponent's wrist.

Moments later, the second soldier slumped to the ground, clutching at his torn chest and gasping for breath, trying futilely to stem the bleeding.

* * *

Morgan knew better than to face the two incoming swordsmen head on as Helios had done. She knew that with her training, she could likely handle either of them alone, but together, their greater strength and reach would prove to be an overwhelming advantage.

"Time to even the odds," Morgan declared, flipping her tome to her left hand and drawing Alondite. A magical jet of flames erupted forth, and though her aim wasn't perfect, it was enough to give the two Sun Guard swordsmen pause, at least. A shockwave from Alondite flew through the flames, bashing one of the two off of his feet.

The other pushed through, growling as the scorching flames licked at his armor. His companions – save for the swordsman Morgan had knocked down – followed shortly after, and just like that, the staircases had been breached.

Realizing that her aim would prove inadequate with her foes so close by, Morgan loosed one more spell to blast away the nearest swordsman, then let her tome fall limp to the ground. She readied her sword as a muscular, robed Sun Guard armed with a glaive drew near.

Then Severa suddenly appeared at Morgan's side, glaive in hand. "All right, Morgan. Let's go," she declared. She lashed out with her glaive, wedging it tightly against her opponent's, then threw her weight against the shaft of her weapon, spinning it outwards to tear her opponent's glaive from his grasp.

Morgan followed through perfectly, executing a clean forward step into a thrust. It was exactly the attack routine Severa – who had fought besides Lucina countless times before – had anticipated, and she was already swerving aside to allow Morgan room to retreat. By the time the next Sun Guard pushed his way past his grievously wounded companion, the two sisters were ready and waiting, positioned for a perfect flank.

Morgan managed a faint smile. Perhaps holding off the Sun Guard reinforcements wouldn't be so hard, after all.

* * *

Helios ignored the two fallen soldiers as he retrieved his other sword, doing his best to hide any hint of his inner turmoil. "It's good to see you, Tohl," he said quietly, deliberately avoiding his friend's accusing stare.

Tohl grimaced. "I wish I could say the same," he said, shaking his head in dismay. "I can't believe this. This morning, when they brought me my promotion papers, they warned me that you had turned against the Sun Guard. I told them that it was impossible, and that you would never go over to the other side… and yet, here we are now. You, a Nihilist? How could this have happened?"

"The Nihilists aren't what you think they are," Helios tried to explain.

"You can't be serious, Hel!" Tohl exploded. "They've brought an army to our doorstep! They've come against Sol Sanctus itself, the heart of our world! They mean to destroy the Solcryst, the only light Monolith has left!"

"Only because the Solcryst must be destroyed," Helios interrupted fervently. "Please, Tohl, listen to me. We've been lied to. The Solcryst is what keeps Monolith veiled in darkness. Beyond the Solcryst's reach is the world from our legends, a beautiful sky, illuminated by both day and night. I've seen it with my very own eyes, Tohl. I've seen a world where we can sleep beneath the stars, unafraid of the Nightmares. I've seen the sun, a fiery orb brighter than the Solcryst, brighter than anything I had ever imagined."

Tohl stared at Helios incredulously. "What are you saying?" he murmured. He took a step back, and his grip on his poleaxe slackened. "Is this meant to be some sort of joke? Listen to yourself, Hel. This is crazy."

"When have I ever lied to you, Tohl?" Helios demanded. "We've been friends for nearly a decade, have we not? The Seekers – who we labeled Nihilists – never set out to destroy anything. They sought only answers, the answers which they've finally found."

"And that answer just happens to be the one we've always been afraid of," Tohl said. His eyes flashed angrily, and his voice dripped with sarcasm.

"We've been afraid of it because someone within the Sun Guard must have known it was true," Helios argued. "How many friends did you leave behind in Aquila, Tohl? How many of them are still alive now? Did you know the Sun Guard destroyed the Sun Spire there? They sacrificed a thousand lives just to keep the Seekers from trying to learn whether more of the Sun Spires could be built!"

That accusation stole away Tohl's blustering manner. Tohl looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I see," he whispered.

"Help us, Tohl," Helios urged, thinking he had gotten through to his friend at last. "You understand, don't you? We both joined the Sun Guard hoping to make our world a better place. Now we can do just that. Please, Tohl. Join us. With your help, we can bring the light back to Monolith's skies."

Tohl's eyes flickered open, glimmering with unadulterated rage. "Oh, I understand," he hissed. "How foolish do you think I am, Helios? Whatever your claims to the contrary, you enlisted for the same reason I did… for the same reason everyone does. We swore to stand against the world's greatest evils, protecting Monolith's order in hopes of ascending it ourselves!"

"W-what?" Helios gasped.

"Don't deny it. Just like the rest of us, you decided to risk your life to earn a place here in Sol Hearth," Tohl accused. "You've always gone to absurd lengths to set yourself apart from your patrols, and even your patrol leaders. You've always tried to make yourself appear _different_ , hoping that someone would notice, even while spending every last day you were allowed here in Sol Hearth."

"You can't be serious," Helios whispered in horror. "Have you gone mad? I only started visiting Sol Hearth in hopes of visiting you!"

"In hopes of visiting me?" Tohl laughed grimly. "You and I hardly spent more than a day or two together throughout most of your visits. Do not speak to me of madness, Helios."

Helios only stared in disbelief, unable to find the words to argue with that ridiculous claim.

"You saw the life I had earned, without truly comprehending the price of such a blessing," Tohl went on. "And when you still could not find your place in Monolith's order, you were left with naught but bitterness and envy. In that, lies true madness."

"Tohl… after all this time, how could you think so little of me?" Helios pleaded.

"And now, finally, it brings you here," Tohl went on disgustedly. "Broken by your own ego, you've allowed your pride and jealousy to overtake you, and you've set out to destroy that which you could not have."

Helios could only stare at his former friend helplessly. His swords dipped towards the ground, suddenly feeling heavier than they ever had before.

Tohl braced his poleaxe and straightened. "I am Tohl of the Sun Guard, Second Class," he declared ominously. "By the power vested in me, and with the blessing of the Solcryst, I find you guilty of high treason. Helios, formerly of the Sun Guard, Fourth Class… you are hereby condemned. Struggle if you must, or lower your weapons and accept your fate."

The fierce words, spoken with such finality, kindled a new flame somewhere deep in Helios's heart. The former Sun Guard raised his swords, assuming a defensive stance. "Stand down, Tohl. You and I both know you cannot defeat me. Please don't make me kill you," Helios calmly warned his former friend.

"Your arrogance deceives you again," Tohl spat, his temper flaring. "I am stronger now than you remember, and with righteousness guiding my blade, I will not lose. If you must fight on, so be it. The only mercy I offer you now is a swift death, a final token of respect to the man you once were… the man I once called a friend."

"Keep your mercy to yourself," Helios retorted, twirling his swords in a simple flourish before charging.

Having sparred with Helios before, Tohl had seen that same, casual flourish countless times, and immediately leveled his poleaxe forward at an angle to stop the swordsman's charge.

Helios had anticipated that exact counter, however, and this time, the flourish had only been a feint. After taking only two steps, he shifted his balance and slipped his leading foot forward, wedging the tip of his boot beneath one of the fallen poleaxes. With a forceful kick, he lifted the heavy weapon into the air, flinging it at Tohl.

Tohl stumbled away in alarm, before quickly realizing that the heavy projectile, thrown at such an awkward angle, could not possibly pose much of a threat. Recognizing the distraction for what it was, he tried to fall back into a defensive stance, but he was too late. Helios had already agilely hopped over both of the fallen Sun Guard soldiers, and was closing in at an alarming rate. Tohl panicked, and launched a desperate chop with his own poleaxe, hoping to buy himself a few precious seconds.

Helios easily veered away from the attack, leaping aside and bracing his back against the wall while sweeping both of his swords out, parallel to one another. Both of his swords slammed into the poleaxe's shaft, nearly wrenching the weapon from Tohl's grasp. The skilled swordsman then snapped one foot upward to kick off of the wall, propelling himself forward and fiercely jabbing both swords against his opponent's armor.

Though neither of Helios's swords could pierce through his opponent's plated armor, the deftly executed attack still sent Tohl reeling. The Sun Guard tried another desperate move, a swift, underhanded chop that had little chance of hitting its mark.

Helios promptly flipped one of his swords into the air, then seized the head of Tohl's weapon in his now empty hand. With a forceful shove, he tore the polearm from his opponent's grasp. Then, recognizing how precarious his opponent's balance had become, the clever swordsman barreled forward again, leading with his shoulder and tackling his larger, heavily armored opponent.

Tohl lost his footing entirely, crashing to the ground and slamming his head against the wall in the process. In his dazed state, he barely felt the sting of a sword finding a seam in his armor beneath his arm.

* * *

Helios could feel his rage cooling, but he growled away the sudden wave of revulsion that had suddenly come over him. He withdrew his remaining sword, then instinctively turned to collect the one he had discarded during the battle. "I'm sorry, Tohl," he apologized, fighting to keep his voice steady.

"D-don't… be," Tohl gasped.

Helios reached to his belt and unstrapped one of the healing elixirs Morgan had given him, but when he moved it up to Tohl's mouth, the dying Sun Guard jerked his head away. "This may save you," Helios said patiently.

"I… don't need… your… pity…" Tohl growled angrily. Blood burbled out of his mouth as he spoke, staining the corners of his lips.

Helios heaved a deep, helpless sigh. "Then hear me out, Tohl. That's all I ask of you, a single favor to an old friend," he pleaded.

Tohl opened his mouth, but no words came forth, only more blood. Unable to speak, he narrowed his eyes angrily, making his intentions quite clear.

Helios spoke on anyways. "I thought you knew me, Tohl. Looking back now, I see that it was a fool's thought; throughout most of the time we've known each other, I hardly even knew myself. Still, I had an idea of what I wanted, back when I first joined the Sun Guard. You were there, just like you were there when my dreams died without so much as a whimper.

"Ever since then, I've been lost. Cress would poke fun at me, calling me a drifter… she was joking, of course, but she wasn't wrong. You were right about one thing, Tohl. I couldn't find my place in Monolith's order. Even so, Monolith was my home, and its people are my people."

Helios paused and inspected his former friend carefully, wondering if any of his words were getting through. Unfortunately, the auburn-haired man only seemed tired, his face devoid of any emotion.

Tohl was running out of time.

"I was given a chance to escape, Tohl," Helios pressed on. "I had a chance to leave Monolith behind for good… more than one, as a matter of fact. In the end, I chose to stay and fight. I chose to stay, because I'm not just trying to free myself from this mess, like you seem to think. I'm still here because there's a chance – however slim it might be – that I can help everyone else escape, too… and that includes you. I've seen hints of a brighter future, Tohl. I wanted to share it with you, and with everyone else, more than I ever wanted it for myself. Please, Tohl… I beg of you… let me save you."

Tohl drew in a long, ragged breath. Mustering every last bit of his remaining strength, he leaned to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood, dribbling over himself in the process and staining himself further. "I don't need to be saved," he rasped weakly. "I may have lost this battle, but I will die knowing that I will win out in the end, because I am a part of the Sun Guard. That's what it means to be part of something greater than yourself, Helios. That's what my old friend never understood; he could never see why it was important to fit into the world's molds. He could never allow himself to become someone ordinary, so he became you instead. A madman. A monster. A traitor."

"Tohl… please…" Helios whispered, trembling at the dying man's accusations.

"You cannot save me, for I am already saved," Tohl continued serenely, though his voice grew faint. "I was a part of something great, and even if you destroy the Sun Guard today, I will still have been part of the reason Monolith could enjoy all these centuries of order. Hel… if you're in there still… if you can hear me at all… save yourself. Free yourself… from… this…"

Unable to finish his final thought, Tohl shuddered suddenly, drawing another deep, ragged breath. Then he went perfectly still, his eyes glossing over.

* * *

"Hel!" Morgan called, racing down the hallway to Helios's side as soon as the battle in the chamber was concluded. She saw immediately that her help wouldn't be needed, and that Helios was unwounded. She noticed, too, her friend's grim, almost brokenhearted expression. "Are… are you alright?" she asked timidly.

"I'm fine," Helios assured her calmly. He wiped his blades off on the thick carpet, then sheathed them. His movements were as carefully measured and graceful as always, but there was something strangely cold and thoughtless about them that Morgan found grossly disconcerting.

Then the young tactician took a closer look at the dead man lying beside Helios, and understood. "Tohl," she whispered, immediately recognizing the auburn-haired man.

"Tohl?" Severa echoed curiously. Morgan and Helios both turned to see the rest of their companions catching up to them.

Helios nodded. "I used to think of him as friend. Apparently, he never thought of me quite the same way," he remarked coolly.

"It wasn't your fault, lad," Bayn said, placing a comforting hand on Helios's shoulder. "Nor was it your friend's. It's not so easy to set aside such deeply rooted beliefs."

"He was a victim in this, too," Morgan agreed sadly.

"No, Tohl made himself a victim," Helios said, in an unusually vindictive tone. "He may have been a pawn, but he was a proud and willing one. All he ever wanted was prestige and a sense of belonging, both of which meant more to him than our supposed ideals ever could have. We were threatening to take that from him, so he refused to believe the truth. He died as he lived: a blind and selfish fool." He breathed out a deep sigh as he finished his tirade, and seemed to be on the verge of collapse. It was quite clear that, in spite of his harsh words, Tohl's death had shaken him.

"I'm sorry, Hel," Morgan said, gently taking and squeezing her friend's hand in what she hoped was a supportive manner.

"Don't be," Helios said, shaking his head. "We should be going. Tohl wasn't the first to die here tonight, and he won't be the last."

"We should," Morgan agreed timidly, and she started down the hallway, trying her hardest not to look back. Her companions did the same, save for Helios, who paused to look one last time into Tohl's lifeless, accusing eyes.

* * *

Morgan and her companions hardly spoke as they pressed onwards through Sol Sanctus. The sounds of battle from the lower levels soon faded away, and save for their occasional skirmish against the Sun Guard patrols, they traveled in near silence. Despite their lengthening string of flawless victories, a somber mood had shadowed them ever since their first encounter with the Sun Guard, as if that one battle had reminded them that their enemies were not the faceless, soulless Nightmares they had grown accustomed to battling.

Though she tried her best not to show it, Morgan felt rather shaken herself. She had fought against other humans before on countless occasions, but even killing ruthless, murderous bandits had not been easy. The sight of the last spark of life fleeing a dying man's eyes – even a man who clearly deserved death – was usually enough to leave Morgan feeling as if her insides were writhing and churning uncontrollably.

And Sol Sanctus's defenders clearly did not deserve their fate. That was the worst of it, Morgan knew. These were ordinary people who had pledged their lives to the defense of their people. These were ordinary people who had been deceived, and were otherwise innocent of any real crime.

These were the very people she and her friends were fighting to save.

After their third hour spent traversing the many winding hallways and staircases of Sol Sanctus, and their sixth battle against the Sun Guard patrols, Morgan found the urge to give up and turn back to be stronger than ever. "This was your idea, and the best plan you could come up," she chided herself firmly, speaking so quietly that none of her companions could overhear her.

When she found that reminding herself of the importance of their task wasn't enough to allay her unease, Morgan began trying to distance herself from any thoughts of her enemies. That, too, failed to truly distract her, and the young tactician began mentally recounting their latest battles, focusing on the fighting itself and searching for any details she may have missed before. Her mind began to wander, and she found herself thinking wistfully of the many afternoons she had spent curled up in her father's library in Ylisstol.

As the heaps of books piled all about the library crossed through her mind's eyes, a strange thought occurred to Morgan. "This isn't right," she noted aloud, abruptly breaking the silence.

"Whatever do you mean, lass?" Bayn asked. From his tone, it seemed as if their recent battles had left him on an emotional edge, too.

"Shouldn't the Sun Guard have strategists and tacticians?" Morgan asked. "So far, the patrols we've encountered were just scattered throughout the tower, instructed to hold the largest rooms. They've all been in roughly the same defensive formations, too. It's almost as if they weren't planning at all, and were expecting their enemies to charge in blindly."

"The Sun Guard trains almost exclusively to battle Nightmares," Trance reminded. "We spar with one another from time to time to learn how to better handle our weapons, but that's about it. Only a few oddballs make a point of training regularly against human opponents, and even then it's mostly just for fun."

"I see," Morgan said thoughtfully, considering the implications. She shook them away, though, realizing there was little to be gained in speculating blindly about their enemy's preparations. "Oddballs, huh?" she added, smiling teasingly at Helios in hopes of raising his spirits a tad.

To her relief, Helios smiled. "Can't argue with that," he shrugged. "Back in Aquila's Ascent, the others in my patrol were content bashing around their training dummies for a few minutes and calling it a day. When I asked them to spar, they looked horrified, as if I had asked them to cut off their own arms or something. That's how I ended up training alone, for the most part… well, except for when I was visiting Sol Hearth." A distant look came over Helios, then.

Not wanting Helios to dwell too long on thoughts of Tohl, Morgan was quick to change the subject. "Well, I still say it's quite silly for the Sun Guard to spread out their defenses this way. Separating their patrols like this just makes each patrol easier to defeat," she remarked.

"They should have gathered all of their forces near the top of the tower to make their stand together," Severa agreed.

"Hmm… maybe," Morgan said noncommittally. "But having all of your soldiers bunched up could backfire, too. If I were in charge of protecting Sol Sanctus, I would've stationed about half of the Sun Guard just beneath the Solcryst. The rest of the forces can be divided up and spread throughout the hallways on that floor and the floor beneath it. That way, they can collapse around any potential invaders, and…"

"Suddenly, I find myself very thankful that you _weren't_ in charge of Sol Sanctus's defenses," Trance interrupted wryly.

"We've managed to get this far with only a few scratches and bruises, and I'd like to keep it that way," Ferus agreed. "I still can't believe we've gotten this far with only seven people… eight, I mean," he said, correcting himself hastily when an indignant Yuelle sharply prodded his shoulder.

"Don't get too comfortable," Morgan warned. "We aren't quite at the summit yet. If the Sun Guard plans to throw anything else at us, they still have plenty of time to do so."

"But we should be nearing the summit soon," Bayn said. "Stay sharp, everyone."

Almost right on cue, they rounded the following corner to find a lavish staircase waiting for them. It was wider and longer than any of the staircases they had come across so far, and framed by four winged statues – two on either side of the bottom step, and another two flanking the uppermost step.

"This has to be it," Severa said, gripping her bow more tightly.

"This mighty bastion's lucent pinnacle lies within our reach," Owain proclaimed.

Morgan nodded in agreement, for she knew that if the Sol Sanctus had any other defenses to offer before the Solcryst itself, they would be waiting atop the staircase. "We're almost there," she said, mostly for her own reassurance.


	16. Chapter 14: Crescent

**~ Chapter 14 ~**

 **Crescent**

Just as Morgan had anticipated, there was indeed another Sun Guard patrol waiting at the top of the steps. She was relieved to see that this patrol was no larger than the others they had encountered. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy; for all of its value to the Sun Guard, Sol Sanctus's defense were proving woefully unimpressive and inadequate.

Morgan shook those thoughts away quickly and set to inspecting the soldiers around her. This time around, over half of the defenders were wearing the highly decorated armor and robes reserved for the Sun Guard First Class. Their presence was not overly concerning to the young tactician, for every patrol she and her companions had battled thus far had been led by a member of the Sun Guard elites, all of who had demonstrated themselves to be poor combatants.

This patrol did seem a little different from the others, however. No flurry of motion and confusion greeted Morgan and her friends as they spilled into the room. In fact, only one of the Sun Guard fighters moved at all.

Standing at the back of the Sun Guard formation was a tall, imposing figure, apparently the patrol's leader. She was quite clearly a woman, for though she was armored from head to toe, her armor had been tailored to fit and accentuate her slender and more feminine form. The decorative markings upon her armor were even more flamboyant and distinctive than those her allies wore, and shone visibly, almost hauntingly.

The Sun Guard commander raised her hand, motioning for her forces to hold their positions.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Bayn whispered.

"You know her?" Morgan asked curiously, keeping her voice low as well.

"That's High Commander Harmonia," Trance explained softly. "Nominally the leader of all the Sun Guard, allegedly blessed by the Solcryst itself."

"She should be down at the lower floors, leading the Sun Guard's defense," Bayn muttered. "Why was she waiting here with only a token force?"

"Why don't we ask her?" Morgan shrugged. Then she raised her voice to include the enemy commander. "Hello! It's nice to meet you! Though, this is kind of a funny place to run into each other, don't you think?"

The opposing commander didn't share in the young tactician's good humor. "I am High Commander Harmonia of the Sun Guard," Harmonia greeted them. "I have been charged with defending the summit of Sol Sanctus. Trespassers, you have done well to make it so far into our sacred home, but I cannot allow you to go any further."

"Really? That's a shame," Morgan said mildly. "Are you sure we can't work something out?"

"Absolutely not!" Harmonia thundered. "I will not dicker with criminals who seek to destroy our way of life!"

"Ouch. Touchy subject, huh?" Morgan frowned. "But you know, it wasn't us that ruined your Sun Spires. You can thank your own Solcryst for that. Leaves you in a bit of a bind, doesn't it?"

"Yours words of deceit cannot sway us, little girl," Harmonia laughed. "You stand before the strongest and most loyal servants of the Solcryst. Surrender now, and perhaps we will be merciful. Flee, and we will not give chase. Fight, and you will certainly all die."

"If you're half as loyal as you claim, you know as well as we do that there are things far worse than death," Bayn growled. "We've spent far too long living this lie already."

"Then I will grant you this slight mercy, my traitorous brother," Harmonia replied. She signaled to her soldiers, before lowering her gauntleted hand to her glaive. "Kill them."

* * *

Despite her nonchalant demeanor, Morgan had not been idle throughout the brief conversation, and had instead been covertly studying the chamber. It was larger than the other chambers they had battled the Sun Guard in, but was structured in roughly the same fashion. Again, an upper walkway ran across the back of the room, leading into a pair of staircases that descended along opposing walls. There were now two entryways feeding into corridors from both the lower and upper floors – given their curvature, they seemed to lead into smaller, side chambers. Behind the High Commander was a fifth doorway, with a staircase behind it that could only lead up to Sol Sanctus's summit.

This time, only a single Sun Guard could be seen waiting atop the walkway, an archer who immediately loosed his first shot at Morgan. A fireball met the meager projectile in midair, incinerating it.

"Try to get their commander away from the doorway," Morgan instructed coolly, launching a second fireball to send the enemy archer scrambling for cover. "If we can all make it past her safely, I can seal the passage behind us with my last light rune."

"You got it, lass," Bayn acknowledged, and he, Owain, Trance, and Ferus prepared to charge, while Severa began shooting back at the archer above.

Helios was only barely listening to Morgan, though, for something about their enemy's formation struck him as distinctly odd. While the rest of his companions advanced, he quickly took count of their enemy again, which confirmed his worst fears. His heart sank as he looked towards one of the statues positioned halfway along one of the staircases leading up to the walkway.

Just as Helios had feared, a second Sun Guard archer had been concealed behind the statue. The archer was now poised atop the statue, remaining perfectly balanced despite being clad in full armor. Helios found himself staring directly into a readied arrow. His heart raced, and he felt deathly afraid, but he did not move or even flinch when the archer fired.

The arrow soared harmlessly over Helios's head, and it took him every bit of discipline and self-restraint not to shout out in denial.

Standing beside the motionless Helios, Severa finally ended her ranged duel with the first archer on her third shot. The second archer, realizing that Severa would be searching for a new target soon, leapt down and scrambled for the nearest doorway.

Without a word to the others, Helios set off towards the nearby corridor. He knew and dreaded what awaited him in the side chamber, but found himself drawn in that direction nonetheless.

* * *

Helios soon arrived in a smaller chamber, a rather simple, square room with only two entrances: a hallway leading back to the main chamber's lower floor, and a curved staircase leading up to the walkway. His thoughts weren't on the chamber, though, nor did they dwell on the battle he had left behind.

Just as it had been with Tohl, Helios already knew who the archer waiting for him at the center of the room was, even before she removed her helmet.

"Hello, Cress," Helios said quietly, barely managing to force the words past the lump that had arisen in his throat.

Gone was the playful spark that Helios was accustomed to seeing in his dear friend's eyes. There was something wholly different about the small, dark-haired woman, a brittleness to her expression that could not quite hide her anguish.

"What have you done, Hel?" Crescent whispered, her pain bleeding into her every word.

"Only what had to be done," Helios replied, trying his hardest to keep his voice steady.

"What had to be done?" Crescent echoed accusingly. "You've turned your back on the Sun Guard. You've turned your back on all of Monolith, on all of your people… on me…"

"I… I haven't, Cress," Helios protested.

"Why, Hel? Please, tell me," Crescent pleaded. "Why would you side with the Nihilists? Why would you want the Solcryst destroyed?"

"Cress, I…" Helios began, but he found himself unable to continue. He wanted to explain – for someone, at least, to believe him – but, haunted by Morgan's earlier warnings, as well as the memory of Tohl's lifeless eyes, Helios felt as if his voice had died altogether.

Several seconds passed, as Crescent waited for an answer. She then sighed. "Do you still remember the day we met?" she asked softly.

Helios said nothing, and remained perfectly still. He wanted to speak up, to assure Crescent that he would never forget that day, but again, he found that the words just wouldn't come forth.

"I still remember how I thought you were a bit odd," Crescent said, and despite her conversational tone, there was a rocky tremor in her voice. "You didn't look any happier to be at that tavern than I was, but while I was there to try and make friends with my patrol, you were just… there. All by yourself. Then you told off that drunkard who was bothering me, and at first, I thought you were trying to introduce yourself in some roundabout way."

"And then I went back to my seat and put my head down," Helios continued quietly, finding his voice at last. "Not quite the knight in shining armor you were expecting, was I? Then again, you never were the type who'd want a knight."

"True," Crescent admitted, her expression growing wistful. "Still, you could have gone a little easier on me. I had to practically pry your name out of you. I managed to get you talking, though, and sometime over those next few days, I saw that you and I were quite alike. Neither of us had found what we were searching for in joining the Sun Guard. We were both lost."

"Lost," Helios echoed, remembering how he had described himself to Tohl the same way. "That sums us up rather well."

"But I didn't remain lost, Hel," Crescent went on. "It may have taken me a few months to realize it, but during those moments we shared – during those weeks when you managed to steal yourself away from Aquila's Ascent – I was content. I kept hoping that one day, you'd begin to feel the same way."

"I did, Cress," Helios protested. "Why do you think I remained with the Sun Guard for so long? Those fleeting weeks we found together were all I had left, and still they felt too short."

"But you've turned against the Sun Guard now," Crescent said accusingly. "You gave up on them, Hel. Have you given up on me, too?"

"Never," Helios insisted. "I was never going to become a proper Sun Guard, Cress. You and I both knew that all along, yet I kept on trying. I kept trying for so long, hoping against all reason, until…"

"Until…?" Crescent prompted, when Helios went silent again.

Helios swallowed. He felt as if an invisible force was clamping itself over his mouth every time he thought to tell Crescent the truth.

Crescent looked away, her eyes filling with tears. "You didn't have to remain in the Sun Guard for us to be together," she said. "I could have gone to you."

"I would never have asked you to leave Sol Hearth for the Reaches," Helios countered feebly.

"Then you could have come to me," Crescent retorted.

"How could I have…" Helios began to ask. Then Crescent's true meaning sank in, and Helios felt his throat go dry.

Crescent's continued staring down at the floor, but her expression softened. "Every time I saw you, I'd hope you'd ask… but you never did. You'd stay for a bit, and then you'd leave, and I'd wonder when I'd see you again. Now… now we're here."

"I never wanted to leave. You know that, Cress," Helios pleaded. "I would have been perfectly happy staying here with…"

"Then tell me, Hel," Crescent demanded, looking up and staring fiercely into his eyes. "The Sun Guard warned us that you were here to destroy the Solcryst, but I want to hear it from you. Why are you here, Hel?"

"I…" Helios tried again.

He heard Tohl's vicious condemnation, and saw his former friend lying against the wall, staring at him through glassy, unseeing eyes.

He saw the fallen Sun Guards strewn throughout Sol Sanctus, and heard again the unrelenting High Commander Harmonia, speaking with misguided conviction.

He remembered Morgan's sincere words to the Seekers, warning them of the risks and urging them to carefully consider their course.

Helios shook his head, defeated. "I'm sorry, Cress," he apologized.

"Hel…"

"I… I can't tell you why. Not yet," Helios said. "I would like nothing more than for you to see the truth for yourself… but even that I cannot promise you; for all the years I've spent hiding behind my blades, I am far from invincible. I can only promise to try, Cress, and maybe… maybe if we both survive the night, you'll understand."

Crescent shook her head in denial, her dark, waist-length hair rippling wildly behind her. "You can't do this to me," she whispered, trembling as she spoke. "You're ready to attack the Sun Guard… to destroy all of Monolith… to give up your own life, if you have to. That's how much this all matters to you, yet you can't even bring yourself to tell me why. Is that how little I mean to you?"

"That's not…" Helios tried to argue.

"What about Tohl?" Crescent demanded sharply. "If it were him standing before you now, would you have brushed him aside like this, too?"

Helios flinched and took a step back, as if he had just been slapped.

Crescent cast her bow aside, then unstrapped her glaive from her back. "I remain a member of the Sun Guard," she reminded Helios heavily. "Are you that determined for us to be enemies here? Are we meant to fight now?"

"We don't have to," Helios said. "Stand down, Cress. You can surrender now, and back away from all of this. Once this is over…"

"I swore an oath," Crescent interrupted. "Just like you, I once swore to protect Monolith's light and defend our people, to shield the Solcryst with my life if necessary." With a quick twirl, she brandished her glaive, assuming a defensive stance.

"I… I'm sorry, Cress," Helios whispered. His head spinning, he reluctantly reached for his swords. Unlike when he had drawn his blades against Tohl, no surge of strength came to him this time.

* * *

Not long after the fighting broke out in full, Morgan became very glad that the Sun Guard force they were facing wasn't any larger. The High Commander had chosen her entourage well; her soldiers were stronger, faster, and more disciplined than the rest of those stationed within Sol Sanctus, and despite their seemingly meager numbers, they still outnumbered Morgan and her companions.

Two armored swordsmen began advancing towards Morgan immediately, leaving her precious little time to assess how the rest of the battle was unfolding. The young tactician quickly glanced left and right, taking in her surroundings as best she could.

Severa had already abandoned her bow, and had joined Owain on the frontlines. The two veteran warriors were holding their own against the four enemies that had come against them, but already, the shattered remains of a blue ceramic jar laid at Owain's feet, leaving Morgan to wonder whether her sister and Owain could really outlast their opponents.

Only a short distance away, Bayn, Trance, and Ferus were locked in combat with five more of the Sun Guard's elite fighters. As skilled as the twins had seemed up to now, and as capable as Bayn had proven himself to be, the three of them were constantly losing ground, scrambling desperately to keep from being surrounded.

Neither of the two ongoing skirmishes seemed too promising, but what bothered Morgan most was that High Commander Harmonia had yet to join the battle herself. She remained firmly in place instead, still blocking the stairway leading up to the summit. There would be no easy escape past the Sun Guard, Morgan understood.

Then the young tactician was out of time. She skittered backward as the closer of her two incoming foes lunged, escaping just beyond the reach of the man's curved sword. She drew Alondite with one hand, and plunged the other into her sash, retrieving a small parcel folded weaved from thick scraps of parchment. "Ellie!" she called, flinging the package high up into the air.

Morgan was forced to brace her sword with both hands a second later, when her first attacker followed through with a vicious, overhead chop. Alondite came up just in time to parry the Sun Guard's curved blade, trembling violently and shooting a painful jolt through Morgan's arms.

Sensing his advantage, the Sun Guard struck again, still with both hands upon the hilt of his blade. He leaned forward too, confident that he could overpower his smaller opponent this time. Then he found himself falling, for any resistance he had felt before simply disappeared. The tumbling Sun Guard swept his weapon to the side, and only barely caught himself before falling flat on his face. To his surprise, he found Alondite's gleaming silver blade lying only inches away.

Morgan spun clear of her foe, rather annoyed that she had been forced to relinquish her trusty sword so early. She channeled that annoyance directly into her next spell, and sparkling flames gushed forth, hungrily devouring the prone swordsman.

The second swordsman caught up soon after, but wasn't entirely sure how best to help his companion. He swung his blade halfheartedly at Morgan, forcing the girl to cut her spell short, but before he could decide upon his next move, a small, metallic butterfly darted directly up to his face. "W-what!?" he gasped, trying to back away from his newest attacker.

Yuelle paced him, and hastily stuffed the parchment wad through one of the slits in the Sun Guard's visor. Then, as her victim flailed around blindly, she soared clear of the armored man, angling her wings to whistle softly as she went.

Morgan's next spell struck the second armored swordsman fully in the face, igniting the parchment and eliciting a howl of terror. The parchment wad burned quickly, as did its explosive contents. A loud crack split the air, and colorful sapphire and amethyst sparks scattered every which way as the makeshift firework went off.

When the dust settled, Morgan found herself standing over both of the twitching and whimpering swordsmen. She briefly considered leaving them as they were, but quickly thought better of it; her friends were still in peril, after all, and she owed it to them to ensure that her downed foes were out of the fight for good. She hurriedly retrieved her sword, then clenched her jaw determinedly before slashing through the back of her opponent's legs.

As she did her best to mentally block out the screams, Morgan looked towards Severa and Owain once more. The pair had already taken down two of their opponents, but Owain had been left battling the remaining two alone. It appeared as if Severa had rushed to the aid of the three Seekers, only to be caught in a desperate duel with an armored foe bearing a poleaxe identical to Bayn's.

Morgan studied her sister's movements closely, trying to determine whether Severa was being thrown off by her opponent's unorthodox weapon, or whether said opponent was just exceptionally skilled. "Probably both," Morgan finally decided. "Sis, get down!"

Severa obeyed immediately, throwing herself down to the ground so quickly that Morgan's attack almost came too late. A spiraling wave of energy erupted from Alondite's blade, slicing across the room and tearing a deep gash in the Sun Guard's armor.

In a flash, Severa was back on her feet. She swept her glaive overhead, bashing her opponent over the head. She then reversed her glaive, jabbing the shaft forward.

To Severa's surprise, her opponent rallied immediately, shrugging off all three blows before chopping wildly ahead with his overbearing weapon. Realizing she had no way of blocking the attack in time, Severa rushed forth, hoping to get too close for her opponent to strike at her with the poleaxe's blade. For a brief moment, she felt a sense of grim satisfaction as the tip of her glaive tore straight into her opponent's chest. Then her right shoulder exploded with agony, and she realized her daring move had been but a split second too slow.

Blinded and disoriented by the pain, Severa thought she felt herself falling. She tried to right herself, but with the numbness beginning to spread from her arm, she only managed to upset her balance further. Then she felt something soft propping her up.

"Drink," Morgan's voice instructed from somewhere nearby.

Severa obediently drank from the ceramic jar pressed to her lips. Almost immediately, the pain dulled, and the veteran lancer came to her senses once more.

Standing beside her, Morgan loosed another wave of energy from her sword in hopes of distracting one of the two enemies flanking Bayn. "This isn't good," she muttered, preparing to slash her sword again. "We can't keep this up."

Severa took a quick glance at the others, quickly noticing that the three Seekers had already exhausted the healing elixirs Morgan had given them. Owain still had one left, thankfully, and Severa knew that she still had both of hers. She began to unclip one, meaning to offer it to Morgan, but froze when she realized one of their party was missing entirely. "Morgan, where's Helios?" Severa asked.

"He went charging down that hall," Morgan said, briefly indicating the doorway with her sword. She then spun all the way around, blasting one of Owain's remaining two foes to the ground. "I think the hall leads up to the walkway, too. He's probably hunting down the other archer. I thought he'd be back by now, though."

Something in Morgan's words left Severa feeling very uneasy, and though she knew she should be focusing on the battle around them, she stopped to reconsider their absent friend. Every trained warrior knew the importance of reading an enemy's subtle movements, but the ever-perceptive Helios seemed to glean more information from the most minute details than anyone else, with the possible exception of Morgan. The skilled swordsman must have noticed something about the lone, fleeing Sun Guard, something significant enough to warrant abandoning the battle himself to give chase. Something dangerous, perhaps?

An archer, Severa suddenly remembered. Her eyes widened as the truth struck her like a bolt of lightning. "Damn!" she cursed loudly, and without another word to her allies, she recovered her glaive and raced towards the doorway Morgan had just pointed out, praying desperately that she wasn't too late.

* * *

Crescent's posture was slightly forward inclined. Both of her ungloved hands clenched the shaft of her glaive, spread far apart in a defensive manner. Her right hand was in front and clenched more tightly than her left, her knuckles whitening from the tension. Her balance was shifted forward towards her leading foot.

Each of these minor details flickered through Helios's mind, almost subconsciously. That alone should have been more than enough to allow the experienced swordsman to predict how his opponent would move, and to plan his own reaction accordingly. He had trained with Crescent before, too, and should have been able to read her movements all the better for it.

But Helios's thoughts remained a discordant, meaningless jumble, and when his gazed locked with his opponent's plaintive, pleading look, he charged recklessly ahead, desperate to turn aside Crescent's accusing stare.

Crescent shifted her glaive, executing a perfectly angled parry, maintaining eye contact all the while. Then, with one hand, she forced her glaive's blade forward in a sharply angled slash. The basic counter, taught to all novice members of the Sun Guard who trained with the glaive, came far closer to its mark than it ever should have.

One of Helios's swords shot up only just in time to catch the descending glaive. He was stronger than Crescent, and could have easily staved off the awkwardly angled blow with just one of his weapons, but instead of punishing the obvious opening, he reflexively spun and slapped his second sword against the glaive, too, driving Crescent back. Then, without pause, he completed his spin and barreled forth, holding his blades parallel at waist-height and stabbing both forward.

Crescent retreated one carefully measured step, then swept her glaive low and in front of her, smoothly deflecting both thrusts. Then, knowing what was to come, for she had played out that same counter against Helios several times before, Crescent allowed her glaive's momentum to carry her aside, anticipating her opponent to recover with a full spin into a double overhand slash.

Helios did spin away, but the movement seemed clumsy and uncontrolled, and he didn't follow it up with another attack. Instead, he drew back and carefully reset his balance, a conservative move that allowed Crescent ample time to regain her footing as well.

Crescent glowered at her opponent, wondering if she was being mocked. She had seen that particular offensive play from Helios many times before, and every time it had allowed the talented swordsman full control of their battle's tempo. But the only emotion visible in Helios's face was a hint of frustration, and Crescent realized that it must have been an honest mistake. An honest mistake, yet one that should have been impossible, given the countless hours her friend had spent perfecting his technique.

Helios attacked again, as if determined to regain his advantage, but his swords lagged behind, as if they had somehow grown heavier. He deftly carried out the familiar attack pattern regardless, slashing twice across before twirling both swords overhead and finishing with a downward cross.

Up came Crescent's glaive, turning each lateral swipe with seeming ease. Crescent then retracted her weapon slightly and flipped it to rest horizontally, catching both of Helios's blades at once.

Helios withdrew, retracting his blades and pausing briefly in hopes of finding his rhythm, but before he could attack again, Crescent threw her glaive aside.

"What are you doing?" Helios demanded.

"What are _you_ doing?" Crescent countered.

"I'm trying to fight my way past you," Helios growled.

"Past me and to where? The same chamber you left behind moments ago when you chased me here?" Crescent retorted.

Helios had no answer to that.

"You're holding back, Hel. We both know I'm no match for you, up close like this," Crescent went on angrily. "If you were really trying to kill me, you would've finished me off already."

"And if you wanted to kill me, you would've done so in a single shot, long before I even noticed you," Helios argued defensively.

"So if neither of us mean to kill the other, what are we doing?" Crescent demanded.

Helios grimaced, but said nothing.

"Fine," Crescent whispered, sounding thoroughly defeated and broken. "I'm done."

Those two simple words, spoken with such sorrow and resignation, cut deep into Helios's heart like a pair of scalding knives. "Cress?" he asked softly.

Crescent closed her eyes and held her arms out wide, defenseless. "Go on, then. If you mean to kill me, then kill me already," she said. "I can't win, Helios, even with you holding back. I already lost when my dearest friend turned his back on me."

"I… I haven't…" Helios stammered feebly.

"I still love you," Crescent whispered, and that admission stung Helios more painfully than any angry remark possibly could have. "I want to believe you cared about me once, too, but if your new cause is really this important to you… more important to you than I ever was… then I won't stand in your way any longer. Goodbye, Helios."

For a time, Helios remained perfectly still. His arms felt stiff, as if they had turned to lead, and he could not find the strength to lift his swords, even to put them away. In fact, he found it hard simply to keep from dropping them altogether.

Then someone else burst into the room, and Helios instinctively spun around, making a rather feeble attempt at bracing his weapons defensively before he realized it was only Severa.

Severa seemed to take in the scene all at once, and a split second later, she began glowering angrily at Helios. "Are you daft!?" she shouted angrily. "Don't you _dare_ lay a finger on her!"

"I wasn't going to!" Helios protested, clumsily sheathing his weapons. "What are you doing here, Severa?"

"What does it look like I'm doing here?" Severa demanded. "I'm here to keep a certain idiot from killing yet another of his friends!"

When those words registered, Crescent's eyes shot open, and she stared at Helios in shock. "You've already run into Tohl," she whispered.

Helios finally broke. His hands fell limply away from the hilts of his swords, and his head slumped downward. "I had to," he whispered. "I… I tried to tell him the truth. He wouldn't listen to me. We… we fought. I won, and he… he wouldn't let me save him."

"And you assumed I wouldn't believe you, either," Crescent said in a bitter, accusing tone.

"Oh no, he knew you'd believe him," Severa interrupted coldly. She walked straight up to Helios and roughly grabbed the taller man by his shoulders, forcing him to stand straight and meet her gaze. "Isn't that right, Helios? Remember when we asked you about Crescent? Twice the friend Tohl was, you said. You knew all along that she'd believe you, even if Tohl didn't."

Helios tried to back away from the surprisingly intimidating woman, but Severa paced him relentlessly, as if to keep him from trying to escape. "I couldn't be sure…" Helios tried to argue, feeling cornered.

"How stupid do you think we are!?" Severa interrupted him again. "You knew Crescent would believe you. You knew, too, that once you told her the truth, the Sun Guard would want to kill her, too. You're trying to protect her, but you're doing it in the stupidest fashion possible, and somehow, I get the feeling she doesn't need or want your protection, anyways!"

"Is it true, Hel?" Crescent asked quietly. "Is that what this is all about?"

Wishing he could simply sink into the ground and disappear instead, Helios reluctantly turned to meet the dark-haired woman's gaze. There was a knowing glint in Crescent's eyes.

Suddenly, Helios felt very foolish indeed.

Severa tactfully backed away as Crescent slowly approached Helios.

"I never wanted to hurt you," Helios murmured.

"I know," Crescent said gently. "I knew you weren't about to kill me. I only wanted to hear the truth. I only wanted you to trust me again, the way we've always trusted each other."

"I knew you wouldn't want me to try and protect you," Helios admitted. "But after what happened to Tohl… I had to try, Cress. I didn't want you to be here. I wanted you to be somewhere safe, somewhere away from all of this. If something goes wrong tonight, we could all end up dying here, and I can't… I can't let that happen to you."

"Did you ever stop to think what I would want?" Crescent asked, an accusing note slipping into her voice. "If you and your new friends do wind up getting yourselves killed tonight, do you really think I'd want to live out the rest of my life wondering why your last words to me were to try to chase me away?"

Helios shifted guiltily as the full weight of Crescent's heartfelt words settled upon him. He remembered her earlier confession, too, and finally realized just how badly he had erred, no matter his doubts and fears. "I'm sorry, Cress," he whispered, feeling grossly ashamed.

"Good," Crescent said coolly. "Now quit being so stubborn, and maybe I'll forgive you. I know you're not really out to destroy the world, so what's going on here, Hel?"

Helios glanced nervously at Severa, who gave him an encouraging nod. He took a deep breath.

Then a terrible racket erupted from the hallway Helios and Severa had entered the chamber from. All three of the room's occupants turned to the doorway just in time to see Owain, Bayn, Trance, and Ferus crashing through. All four of them seemed winded, and Trance and Bayn both bore several minor injuries.

Without so much as a greeting, Bayn turned and poked his head back into the hallway. "Hurry, lass!" he urged.

"I'm hurrying already!" Morgan fumed indignantly, rounding the corner a moment later. "It's not my fault your legs are longer than I am tall!"

Bayn opened his mouth to apologize, but closed it again without a word, deciding it best not to distract Morgan any further. He and the others stood by silently as Morgan activate her light rune, conjuring an impenetrable barrier of light to seal the doorway.

Angry shouts rang out from behind the barrier.

"What trickery is this!?"

"Break it down!"

"There! That should give us a few moments, at least until they remember there's another way into this room," Morgan panted. She looked up, smiling when she saw Crescent. "Hi, Cress!"

Despite the ongoing chaos, Crescent couldn't help but smile at Morgan's sunny, lighthearted expression. "Hello there. You were with Hel back at the tavern the other day, weren't you? What's your name?"

Morgan gave her an odd look. "You mean Hel and Severa haven't filled you in on everything yet?" she asked, surprised.

"Umm… Morgan, this isn't really the best time," Severa interrupted cautiously, shooting her sister a meaningful look.

Morgan paused. "Oh. Okay," she said, a puzzled look upon her face. "I'll just go and ask the rest of the Sun Guard to point their weapons somewhere else for a bit, then."

"Morgan…" Severa warned dangerously, not appreciating the sarcasm. She bit back the rest of her retort, though, as she reconsidered the barrier the younger girl had just conjured. "Wait, wasn't that your last light rune?"

"Yeah, but we were running out of healing elixirs," Morgan explained. She quickly fished a staff out of her pouch. "Trance, Bayn, hold still," she ordered.

"I thought we were planning to slip past the rest of the Sun Guard and up to the summit," Severa reminded. "How are we going to barricade the stairs behind us now?"

"We aren't. Plans change," Morgan said nonchalantly, as she began tending to the two wounded Seekers. "Especially when there's an unhappy enemy commander refusing to move away from the foot of those stairs. Hey, Hel, hurry it up with the explanations, will you? This barrier won't keep us safe for long."

Helios nodded stiffly, then turned to Crescent once more. "I'm sorry, Cress. I should have…" he began.

"You're stalling," Crescent interrupted, smiling knowingly. "Quit apologizing, will you? You heard the young lady. We're running out of time."

Instead of launching into an explanation, Helios considered Crescent for a moment longer, realizing that she was impossibly calm, given the circumstances. "You already know," he realized aloud. "You were listening when Morgan was talking to the High Commander."

"Of course I was," Crescent said wryly.

"You've already pieced the rest together, too, haven't you?" Helios went on, staring wonderingly into Crescent's eyes.

"Some of it," Crescent admitted. "I'd like to hear the truth from you, though. The whole truth, or as much of it as you have time to share. Please, Hel. You owe me that much, at least.

Helios knew when he was beaten. "Alright," he surrendered. "It's true. Both of the Sun Spires were destroyed by someone within the Sun Guard."

"Who would do such a thing? And why?" Crescent asked, frowning thoughtfully.

"The High Commander, perhaps?" Helios guessed. "It doesn't really matter, I suppose. As for why, the Sun Guard was trying to keep the so-called Nihilists from learning the truth. Our legends have it all wrong, Cress. The sun was never extinguished. Morgan led us far enough away from Monolith that we could see the sun for ourselves. The Solcryst is what's keeping our world dark and creating all the Nightmares."

"I see," Crescent said. She seemed to take it all in stride, though she arched one eyebrow curiously at the mention of the sun. "So how exactly do you plan to destroy the Solcryst?" she prompted. "Even if you could just smash it with your swords, what about the Sun Warden? Won't it try to stop you?"

"Morgan said she'd find a way to deal with the Sun Warden," Bayn said.

"And I did!" Morgan announced happily.

"You did?" Severa questioned, sounding more worried than relieved by her younger sister's enthusiasm.

"You believe me, Cress? Just like that?" Helios interrupted.

Crescent rolled her eyes. "Of course I believe you," she informed him sharply, sounding quite miffed that he had needed to ask.

Warm relief flooded through Helios. He felt strangely lightheaded, yet more hopeful than he had been ever since crossing blades with Tohl. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," Crescent said, smiling and shaking her head in exasperation.

"Ah… Morgan, we have a problem," Trance interrupted meekly. "Those guys on the other side of your barrier are gone."

Ferus peeked around the corner as well. "They must be making their way around. I hope we've got a new plan," he said worriedly.

"We do," Morgan assured. She glanced at Helios. "Are you two almost finished, Hel?"

Helios turned and met Crescent's expectant gaze.

"Well?" Crescent prompted, when Helios remained silent. "Aren't you going to ask me to help? Or are you still thinking about trying to send me away?"

"I'm not," Helios said quickly. "It's just… are you sure about this, Cress?"

Crescent rolled her eyes, but before she could answer, their conversation was cut short by the sound of heavy footfalls. Helios reflexively spun towards the staircase leading up to the main chamber's walkway, his swords leaping into his hands. A heavily armored Sun Guard came storming into sight a second later, surging down the curved staircase with his sword raised high.

But Crescent had already retrieved her bow, and before anyone else could react, a single arrow intercepted the approaching Sun Guard, sliding perfectly into one of the eye slits of the armored swordsman's full-faced helmet.

"Of course I'm sure. Why do you ask?" Crescent asked, casually readying another arrow. "Do you not want me with you?"

That simple, yet remarkable display of marksmanship sent Helios's thoughts back to the nighttime jaunts he and Crescent had shared. Suddenly, none of his doubts could find any purchase upon him. "Come on, Cress. You know there's no one I'd rather have fighting at my side," he said.

"Oh? Then what was all that earlier nonsense about?" Crescent teased.

"That was Severa being absolutely correct about me being an idiot," Helios admitted shamelessly, nodding gratefully towards the still-scowling red-haired woman. Then, mindful of Morgan's warnings, he turned to the younger girl. "Alright, Morgan. What's our new plan?"

"I need the High Commander's armor," Morgan answered simply. "Let's hurry up and finish off her and the rest of her patrol."

There was a long, awkward silence as the others tried to make sense of Morgan's words.

Naturally, Severa was the first to find her voice once more. "You _what_!?" she asked loudly, wondering if she had misheard her sister.

"I need the High Commander's armor," Morgan repeated patiently. "Oh, and if we can get it while keeping everyone in one piece – especially Cress – that would be a big help, too."

Crescent shot Helios a puzzled look. Helios only shrugged. "I've found it better not to ask," he explained, before gesturing towards the stairs. "Shall we?"


	17. Chapter 15: Unwavering Light

**~ Chapter 15 ~**

 **Unwavering Light**

Helios broke into a full sprint, gliding towards the nearby staircase with alarming speed. Crescent followed less than a second later, pacing Helios and remaining several paces behind him. By the time Morgan and the others caught on to what was happening, Helios was already halfway up the stairs.

"Hel, wait!" Morgan called.

But Helios didn't slow, and so smooth was his stride that he seemed to soar effortlessly up the steps. Crescent did pause, but only to ready another arrow.

A muffled cry rang out as Helios nearly crashed into an approaching Sun Guard soldier. A moment later, the soldier was tumbling helplessly down the steps, his poleaxe thrown from his grasp. Crescent loosed her shot in a hurry, striking her target in the leg before sliding neatly clear of the flying polearm. Then she, too, disappeared from sight.

"I don't see how running away from the Sun Guard, then straight back at them constitutes a plan," Ferus moaned.

"Stick together, and stay on your guard," Morgan instructed, ignoring Ferus's complaining. Then, with her staff still at the ready, she raced after Helios and Crescent, Severa and Owain at her heels.

* * *

A confident grin spread across Helios's lips when he gained the top step mere seconds before the next pair of Sun Guard lancers could head him off. He burst through the doorway, falling over his newest challengers without the slightest trace of hesitation.

The two surprised soldiers gasped in surprise and promptly tried to back away, but they could not outpace the savage hurricane of shimmering steel that had found them. Helios's swords slapped at them again and again, stinging them with each awkward step they took. Finally, realizing there was no escape, the two Sun Guard fighters raised their glaives in hopes of staving off the furious assault.

Helios's grin widened, for he had expected his advantage to be fleeting, especially with how urgently he had pressed forth in hopes of gaining ground. Just as his opponents were beginning to find their composure, Helios dropped into a deep crouch, then raced towards the farther of his two opponents, a daring movement that left him dangerously exposed.

The closer of the two Sun Guard lancers saw the opening. He stepped out to the side, beyond the reach of Helios's swords, and moved to jab his lance viciously toward his unarmored, vulnerable foe. He had only barely begun to move, however, when an arrow struck his breastplate forcefully. He stumbled back with a grunt, turning reflexively in search of the shooter.

The angle wasn't quite perfect, but it was good enough. Crescent advanced further up the staircase, then pressed herself against the wall, bringing her bow tight to her chest to line up her next shot. Even shooting from such an awkward and uncomfortable posture, Crescent's next arrow bore straight into the seam beneath the armored lancer's arm.

Simultaneously, the other Sun Guard soldier thrust his lance forward, hoping to drive Helios back. The robed swordsman was too fast for that though, and closed in first, accepting a glancing blow from his opponent's glaive's shaft. Helios then slammed his swords into his opponent's side, one after another.

When the lancer felt his sturdy steel plating folding beneath the weight of Helios's vicious attack, he threw himself forward in a reckless tackle, hoping to use his weight to his advantage.

To Helios, the desperate move seemed painfully obvious, even sluggish. He simply weaved aside and watched his opponent stumble past. The sudden fall left the armored Sun Guard so winded that he could not even utter a sound when he felt Helios's sword sliding between his ribs.

* * *

"Wait up!" Morgan called, before promptly tripping over the limp form of a fallen Sun Guard lancer as she emerged through the doorway.

Helios had already moved away, however, and had posted himself at the top of one of the two sets of stairs leading down to the main chamber's lower floors. "Ah… sorry, Morgan, but I'm a bit busy at the moment," he apologized, working his swords frantically as he held back three opponents at once. Three more were trying to squeeze in between their allies, while several others were making their way across the room towards the remaining, unguarded staircase.

Morgan drew her sword and started towards Helios's side, but Crescent quickly stopped her. "Hel and I can hold them here," she promised, twirling and setting another arrow to her bow. Her aim drifted slowly to the left, putting several of the Sun Guard fighters on the defensive. Then Crescent's bow snapped back to the right, and her arrow flew precisely over Helios's shoulder, taking down an armored lancer who had been too distracted to notice her.

Helios had evidently been expecting that very shot, for he was already sidling towards that some opponent. He crossed his swords in front of his chest, then swept them out wide, shoving the lifeless Sun Guard into his waiting companions.

Again, Helios's remaining opponents thought to punish the apparent opening, and again, it was only a ruse.

"I'd run if I were you!" Crescent warned. Her bow quickly thrummed thrice, and one of the two soldiers collapsed, an arrow embedded in each of his shoulders and a third just above his knee.

At the sound of Crescent's voice, Helios had started moving again, too, sliding towards Crescent's target and only narrowly avoiding the stinging arrows himself. That allowed him just enough space to bring his swords to bear against the second Sun Guard soldier, who crumpled backwards a moment later.

Morgan found herself staring in amazement, hardly able to believe how flawlessly Crescent complimented Helios's daredevil posturing. She knew they had little time to waste, and that she should have been attending to their opponents, but it wasn't until the three Seekers finally caught up to her that she finally managed to tear herself away from the spectacle.

"Two more incoming," Bayn said, indicating two Sun Guard swordsmen approaching from across the room.

"Let's go. Leave the rest here to Hel," Morgan decided quickly. She exchanged her staff for her sword and charged, hoping to head off her opponents and trap them upon the staircase as Helios and Crescent had done.

Bayn, Trance, and Ferus obeyed at once, easily outrunning Morgan. The younger girl scrambled after them, only to feel Severa's hand clamping down tightly over her wrist. Severa had restrained Owain, too, who looked equally confused.

"Morgan, were you serious about needing the High Commander's armor?" Severa pressed.

"Yeah, but she's probably still at the staircase. I don't think she's moved," Morgan said. "We can confront her after we've dealt with her soldiers."

"Not if she runs when she sees that her men are losing," Severa said, shaking her head. "Keep the rest of these soldiers busy. Owain and I can take her." She tugged at Owain's hand, who promptly nodded in agreement.

"I don't…" Morgan started to argue, for she didn't think it too likely that the High Commander would flee. She changed her mind halfway, though, when she considered the consequences of their opposing commander escaping. "Alright, then, if you're sure you two can handle her alone," she agreed.

"I'm sure," Severa said, pressing one of her healing elixirs upon Morgan. "Just in case," she explained insistently, when Morgan tried to resist. "Stay safe, okay?"

Then, before Morgan could argue any further, Severa casually tossed her glaive over the walkway's rail, then leapt over it herself. Though the walkway was a good ten feet off the ground, Severa landed neatly on both feet, smoothly retrieving her weapon a second later. Owain seemed more hesitant, but he leapt over as well, stumbling slightly as he landed.

Morgan ran up to the rail, peeking over just in time to see her sister and Owain disappearing beneath the walkway.

* * *

By all appearances, the High Commander had not moved since the start of the battle. She remained at her post, guarding the staircase that led up towards the summit, and her glaive – one identical to Severa's pilfered weapon – rested easily in her gauntleted hands. She continued staring straight ahead, directly between her two challengers, as if she were entirely unaware of their approach.

Severa remained vigilant as she closed in upon the Sun Guard's leader, tensing up when she stepped within striking distance. She knew better than to fall for her opponent's feigned indifference, but for all her caution, Harmonia's first strike still came so quickly that Severa nearly missed the parry.

The two glaives clashed, scraping loudly against each other. The elite Sun Guard then retracted her polearm, spinning it behind her back into her other hand before stabbing again from a different angle.

Severa's first thought was to strike and interrupt the move, but even as she realigned her own glaive, she realized that her opponent was too fast, and that she could not hope to attack and still dodge away. At the last possible moment, she slipped to the right, away from the incoming glaive and buying just enough time to raise her own weapon for another parry. The two glaives sang out as they met again.

When he saw Severa moving right, Owain moved in the opposite direction, weaving past Harmonia's spinning glaive as he completed the flank. He threw out a quick stab, but wisely chose not to commit to the attack. A split second later, Harmonia swept Severa's glaive aside and countered swiftly, slashing powerfully at Owain, who had already retreated to safety.

But Harmonia had underestimated her opponents, and as soon as she rounded upon Owain, Severa closed in once more. Doing her best to match her opponent's blinding speed, the red-haired lancer struck twice in quick succession, and though her glaive did not pierce her opponent's armor, the powerful blows sent Harmonia reeling backward.

Curiously enough, the Sun Guard commander's first reaction was to try and force her way back to the staircase. "You cannot escape me!" she growled defiantly. Her rash move proved ill-advised, for both Owain and Severa seized the opportunity to strike again. This time, Owain's sword slid between his opponent's plated armor, tearing into Harmonia's arm.

"Escape?" Severa echoed disbelievingly, chopping again at Harmonia's helmet. "Does it look to you like we're going anywhere?"

Harmonia staggered back with a painful grunt. Severa and Owain gave chase, but there was more fight left in the wounded Sun Guard commander than either of them anticipated. Harmonia snapped her glaive outward in a wide sweep, driving back both of her attackers. She then leveled her weapon and charged straight at Severa.

Startled, Severa dove aside, twirling her glaive behind her in a desperate, blind parry. Luck was on her side, and she felt the impact of her glaive colliding again with Harmonia's, but the Sun Guard commander powered through the meager defense.

"Severa!" Owain shouted in alarm.

Severa fell back, clutching at her bleeding arm. She gritted her teeth stubbornly to keep herself from crying out in pain, and stared into Harmonia's helmet, determinedly meeting her opponent's gaze.

Harmonia, too, was bleeding from the arm; her armor was stained crimson where Owain had wounded her earlier, but unlike Severa, she hardly seemed to notice the pain. She straightened and brandished her glaive proudly, adamantly standing her ground until the end. "You do not deserve to bask in the light of the Solcryst, let alone approach it," she declared, her voice remarkably even despite her condition.

Owain was more than ready to match his opponent's haughty banter. "Your false light cannot withstand my darkness!" he proclaimed, charging once more. Severa was quick to follow, pausing only to quaff her remaining healing elixir.

Harmonia met their charge fearlessly, and to her credit, she hardly faltered despite her wounds. Though her movements were stiff, she proved just barely capable of turning aside each attack thrown her away. Her glaive rang out against glaive, sword, and glaive again. The furious melee dragged on and on, and still, the High Commander showed no signs of tiring.

"You're boring me!" Severa cried out angrily, as her frustration peaked. She went for a vicious forward stab, abandoning her defensive stance, and her glaive slid up against Harmonia's wounded arm, cutting deeply into the Sun Guard's shoulder.

Seemingly oblivious to the pain, the High Commander countered immediately, and her swift reprise left a bloody gash upon Severa's cheek.

Owain instinctively moved towards Severa, only to be cut off by Harmonia's impossibly fast reversal. Unable to fight on, Owain cursed loudly as he lumbered away, feebly attempting to stem the bleeding from the puncture in his side.

Hardly out of the fight, Severa threw herself forward in a fit of rage. The two glaives clashed repeatedly, and Severa seemed to be growing angrier with each failed attack. The exertion was finally taking its toll upon the red-haired lancer, and a burning sensation began working its way through her arms, but she pressed on relentlessly and with newfound intensity.

Finally, just as both combatants seemed to be reaching their limits, Harmonia slipped. Her glaive drifted but an inch too high, and Severa spun her own glaive underneath, then stabbed up and straight into her opponent's throat.

The High Commander gasped, then fell to her knees. As she collapsed, her helmet caught on Severa's glaive and came free, revealing a striking, angular face framed by a shock of dark hair. Harmonia's frozen expression remained one of defiance, with only the slightest trace of guilt at having failed her master.

* * *

Severa stood motionlessly, unable to tear her gaze away from the defeated High Commander. Even in death, Harmonia's zealous loyalty remained unwavering. Doubt inspired by her fallen opponent's unwavering conviction began gnawing at Severa's thoughts.

Could this fiercely loyal woman, who looked no older than Severa herself was, truly be responsible for the heartless massacre of two downtrodden cities? Had Harmonia even been aware of the truth? Severa was beginning to suspect otherwise, but another, more alarming question remained.

If Harmonia, the highest ranked member of the Sun Guard, had not been the one to order Aquila's Ascent and Leo's Rest destroyed, who was it that had been keeping secrets for so long? Or had Morgan been mistaken, after all?

Then Severa heard the rest of her companions converging upon her, and any thoughts of Harmonia and the Sun Guard faded as she remembered Owain. She spun about, searching desperately for her husband. To her relief, Owain was not only still conscious, but seemed capable of standing as Morgan tended to the grisly wound in his side. "How are you doing, Owain?" she asked, making no effort to hide her concern.

"I've been better," Owain said weakly, and the distinguished absence of any dramatic overtones made his wounds seem far worse than his nonchalance indicated.

"There. Try to relax a little, and it should heal up pretty quickly," Morgan said to Owain, before turning her staff to Severa.

Severa closed her eyes as the healing magic gushed over her face. The gash on her cheek stung, but the pain was fleeting. "Thanks," she said.

"No problem," Morgan said. She looked around, checking on each of her companions one last time before replacing her staff in her pouch. She then gestured with her pearl ring. As Morgan busied herself with removing and cleaning the High Commander's armor, the rift leading to Water's Edge began to form.

Severa glanced curiously at the rift, but more pressing doubts weighed upon her as she approached her younger sister. "Morgan, I don't think the High Commander knew the truth," she said quietly.

"Probably not," Morgan agreed.

"This doesn't seem right," Severa said worriedly. "Everything you said made sense before, but if the Sun Guard really destroyed the Sun Spires, how could their leader not know?"

"I don't think the High Commander was really the leader of the Sun Guard," Morgan explained softly.

Severa stared at her younger sister, baffled.

"You'll understand soon enough," Morgan promised. "Could you give me a hand with this armor?"

Reluctantly, Severa allowed the matter to drop and joined Morgan in stripping down the High Commander's corpse. Only when they had finished did Severa notice the absurdity of their task. The armor was obviously too large for Morgan, and the High Commander was surprisingly slender – too slender for her armor to fit Severa. "Okay. We've got her armor. Now what?"

"Now we're going to gather up robes and armor for everyone else. You're all going to disguise yourself as elite members of the Sun Guard," Morgan instructed, indicating the fallen Sun Guards strewn across the room. "Tie up anyone who's still alive, too. I'll tend to their wounds as best I can, but we need to keep them out of the fighting."

"I'm already wearing Second Class armor, lass," Bayn reminded.

"You're fine the way you are," Morgan agreed.

"What about me?" Crescent asked, for her armor was quite similar to Bayn's.

"You'll be wearing the High Commander's armor, Cress," Morgan explained.

Severa looked up in surprise. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the High Commander's armor was almost a perfect fit for Crescent. Remembering Morgan's previous, off-hand comment about keeping Crescent safe, Severa suddenly understood that her younger sister must have sized up both the enemy commander and Crescent at a glance before formulating whatever plans they were following now. "Okay. That was some pretty quick thinking," she admitted grudgingly.

"What was?" Morgan asked, looking up at her blankly.

"Never mind," Severa said hastily. "But why are we disguising ourselves as part of the Sun Guard now?"

"And why do you want Cress to disguise herself as the High Commander?" Helios added, frowning.

Morgan signaled towards the rift that was slowly forming beside her. "When the rift is complete, everyone but Bayn will head on through to Water's Edge and change into your new armor. I'll show Bayn how to use my ring and give him some warp powder. He'll warp back down to the first level."

"Me? I don't know the slightest thing about magic, lass!" Bayn protested.

"Don't worry. It'll be easy. You'll see," Morgan said soothingly. "And it has to be you. You know the lower levels quite well, and we can't be certain how the battle downstairs is going. Thankfully, neither the Sun Guard nor the Seekers should attack you on sight. You'll have plenty of time to find a safe, quiet spot to bring everyone else back to your side."

"But why are we headed back downstairs?" Severa interrupted. She pointed towards the nearby doorway and the staircase behind it. "The Solcryst is just up there, isn't it?"

"I promised to find a way to deal with the Sun Warden, remember?" Morgan reminded. "Once Bayn lets you all back through the rift, you're all going to follow Cress down to the Sun Forge."

"The Sun Forge?" Crescent said, surprised. "It won't be running, you know. The Sun Forge only runs during the day."

"And if the Sun Guard still has control of the Sun Forge – which is likely, since the Seekers had no plans of seizing it – you're going to order them to turn it on," Morgan said.

"Turn it on… and do what, exactly?" Bayn asked.

Morgan shrugged indifferently. "Nothing. Just leave it running," she said.

"Umm… Morgan, none of this armor is going to fit you," Owain, who was in the midst of choosing a robe for himself, interrupted.

"I know," Morgan admitted, bracing herself for another argument. "Which is why I won't be going with you all. Once Bayn heads downstairs, I'll head on up to the summit and destroy the Solcryst.

For several long seconds, no one said anything. Everyone simply stared at Morgan, as if they were wondering whether the young tactician had lost her mind.

"T-that's your plan?" Helios stammered at last.

"That's not a plan at all!" Severa insisted loudly. "No way, Morgan. We are not splitting up now, not after everything we've been through."

"We have to, Sis," Morgan pleaded. "We need the Sun Forge up and running, but I've never seen the Sun Forge before. I have no idea what it's going to be like down there, and since Bayn will be out of the fighting after he uses the warp powder, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"But what about you?" Trance asked. "We can't leave you to face the Sun Warden alone!"

"I can take care of myself. Besides, I won't be alone. I'll have Ellie with me," Morgan insisted. At the sound of her name, Yuelle poked the tip of her wings up over the brim of Morgan's hood.

"The Sun Warden's magical in nature, remember?" Morgan continued. "I think I know how to deal with him – it."

"You think?" Severa challenged.

"Uh-huh," Morgan said, nodding confidently. "Just get down to the Sun Forge and make sure it stays lit. Once you're sure it won't go out…"

"The Sun Forge is controlled by a simple lever," Crescent interrupted. "As long as no one turns it off, it should stay lit."

"Then as soon as you're certain that no one's going to turn it back off," Morgan corrected herself smoothly. "Bayn can open the rift, then warp you all back up here the same way." Morgan looked to Severa, who seemed on the verge of interrupting again. "Please, Severa. Trust me," the young tactician pleaded.

Severa was about to continue arguing, but stopped when she noticed the longing and almost desperate look that had suddenly spread across the young tactician's face. Severa considered her younger sister's tone more carefully then, and realized that Morgan wasn't really asking for permission – when had Morgan ever cared for her older sister's permission, anyways? No, Morgan was asking for something more this time. She was asking for her older sister to truly believe in her.

Yet when Severa met her sister's nervous stare, she found it impossible to forget that the girl was still only thirteen years old. Only thirteen, yet asking to bear the fate of a foreign world, and to bear it almost alone.

There was a faint sparkle, and Severa's gaze drifted slightly upward, settling upon the jeweled, silver butterfly nestled comfortably in the young tactician's hood.

At that moment, Severa made up her mind, determined not to repeat her father's mistake. "Always," she whispered, moving forward to embrace her sister tightly. "Just promise you'll keep yourself safe until we catch up."

Morgan seemed nearly overwhelmed, and when she replied, her voice was shaking, as was her entire body. "I… I promise," she whispered back.

The nearby rift buzzed as it neared its completion, and Severa finally released her sister. "Alright, everyone. You heard Morgan. Let's gather up some of this armor," she instructed.

In light of Severa's approval, no one pressed the matter any further, and after a quick and frantic search for appropriately-sized robes and pieces of armor, the group – save for Morgan and Bayn – retreated to Water's Edge with a few hasty farewells. Only Crescent hesitated, but any reluctance she initially displayed faded when Helios gently took her hand and led her through the rift.

Less than a minute later, Bayn was gone, too, along with the rift, leaving Morgan and Yuelle alone.

"Are you ready for this, Ellie?" Morgan asked, and despite her earlier assurances to her sister, the young tactician knew that the trial that awaited them now would likely be their greatest challenge yet.

Yuelle's wings quivered, emitting a soft, steady whistle.

"Here goes nothing, then. Let's bring Monolith's legends to life," Morgan said bravely. She started up the steps, trembling with anticipation. "Let's go kill a god."


	18. Chapter 16: Keeper of the Sun

**~ Chapter 16 ~**

 **Keeper of the Sun**

Upon reaching Sol Sanctus's summit, Morgan noticed a strong resemblance to the Sun Spire in Leo's Rest. The floor had been carefully laid from the same smoothly polished bricks, and the rooftop's rails had been cut in the same patterns. The Solcryst itself awaited at the center of the summit. A ghostly, humanoid silhouette stood beside it, its features hidden behind a mysterious, blinding radiance.

When the Sun Warden did not react to her arrival, Morgan briefly looked beyond the tower's summit to the distant horizon, where the four remaining Sun Spires continued twinkling. The distant lights were markedly lower, for Sol Sanctus was far taller than the Sun Spires. Morgan then peeked over the rail. Down below, the streets of Sol Hearth bustled anxiously as the city's many residents became aware of the commotion.

When the Sun Warden still did not move or speak, Morgan turned her attention back to the Solcryst. From a distance, it had looked quite similar to the crystals atop the Sun Spires. Now that she was standing directly beside it, Morgan could immediately see the differences between them, despite being unable to look directly into the intense light. Each finely-cut facet of the Solcryst was crisply defined, scattering the light in a pleasingly geometric manner. Two intersecting rings of smaller stones, carefully chiseled into artistic depictions of the sun's rays, slowly orbited the enormous crystal. The Solcryst and its orbiting rings twirled gradually, scintillating with the light it had stolen from the skies above.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

As the Sun Warden finally acknowledged her presence, Morgan slowly turned to face the ghostly figure – or rather, just to the side of the Sun Warden, for the obscuring light still made it impossible for her to look her adversary in the face. In spite of the Sun Warden's appearance, his voice sounded quite human and natural, possessing a strangely reassuring, mellow smoothness.

"Oh, yes," Morgan admitted freely, for she did find the Solcryst highly remarkable, both in its craftsmanship and its nigh tangible aura of power.

"How fare your companions?" the Sun Warden asked politely. "Surely they would not have abandoned a child such as yourself to brave Sol Sanctus alone."

"They'll be along eventually," Morgan said with an unconcerned shrug. "And I'm not entirely alone, either." At her words, her hood shifted slightly. Yuelle emerged from her favorite hiding place and began fluttering lightly just above Morgan's right shoulder.

"Ah! What a charming application of the arts," the Sun Warden congratulated. "I am quite glad to meet you both. You've created such a stir in Monolith, you know."

"We're in the habit of doing that," Morgan said. "You seem to be taking it better than most. I didn't think you'd be interested in talking."

"Why wouldn't I be?" the Sun Warden asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "I have nothing to hide, especially from a learned and well-traveled pair such as yourselves. You already know the truth of the Solcryst, of course."

"And you already know why we're here," Morgan countered.

"Of course I do. You came here to destroy the Solcryst," the Sun Warden said. "You understand its function better than the rest of my people, though you do not yet comprehend its purpose. When we are finished speaking, I'm certain you will stand aside and allow me to restore peace and order to Monolith."

"I see," Morgan mused. After a moment's thought, she nodded slightly. "Go on then, Icarus. We're listening."

The Sun Warden fell silent.

Morgan smiled knowingly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you had nothing to hide," she said teasingly.

"How did you know?" the Sun Warden asked quietly.

"The Necrotic Wraiths – the creatures your people call Nightmares – arise from magic that manipulates life and souls," Morgan replied. "When my friends and I first arrived in Sol Hearth and saw the Solcryst from afar, I could already tell that it was quite powerful… more than powerful enough to be responsible for all the wraiths we had encountered. However, simply creating light wouldn't have created the wraiths. Once I was certain that the magic behind the wraiths was coming from the Solcryst, and realized that the Solcryst wasn't even creating its own light, I knew the Solcryst had been built to serve another purpose."

"And since you knew Monolith's legends were untrue, it was easy for you to trace them back to their source," the Sun Warden said thoughtfully. "Well done, my dear child. You are far from the first to challenge my reign, but none before you ever realized who – or even what – I am."

"Well, to be fair, I'm not from Monolith, which made figuring out your riddle a bit easier," Morgan said modestly. "I'm Morgan, by the way. You can call my quiet friend Ellie. Say… would you mind turning down that light around you a little bit? It's a little weird looking to your side while we talk."

"As you wish," the Sun Warden said agreeably. The mantle of light surrounding him began to recede, and before long, the enigmatic, ensorcelled silhouette had taken on the shape of an ordinary man – the same man the winged statues scattered throughout Sol Sanctus had been modeled after, Morgan realized with a start.

Icarus, like most of his people, bore a distinct resemblance to the people of Chon'sin. His appearance was that of a perfectly unremarkable man in his early twenties. His face was cleanly shaved, and his shoulder-length, light grey hair was bound into a simple ponytail. He looked to be of average height and weight, and though he seemed young and full of vigor, there was nothing particularly intimidating or impressive about him. The only visible hint as to his true age was the subtle gleam in his eyes, an ancient sparkle of cool wisdom that carried with it a sense of resignation and weariness.

"Impressed by what you see?" Icarus asked wryly. He shook his head regally. "I apologize if this comes as a disappointment to you. The Solcryst keeps me physically young and capable, but beyond that, I care little about my appearance. You and your little friend are the first to lay eyes upon the real me in centuries, after all."

"Is that what this is all about, then? The true purpose of the Solcryst you mentioned earlier?" Morgan asked, a disappointed look upon her face.

"Of course not," Icarus said dismissively. "Only a fool would seek immortality, and only an egotist would condemn thousands to languish in the darkness for his own sake. I am neither."

"Only a fool and an egotist would consider himself a god," Morgan countered. "That is what you consider yourself, yes?"

"Indeed," Icarus smiled, unoffended. "You are still young, Morgan. You remain innocent to the grim ways of our world," he said.

"Not as innocent as you'd think," Morgan interrupted, a fierce glint in her eyes.

"Oh? Have you borne witness to the misery that you humans – lost in the throes of their selfishness and arrogance – visit upon one another?" Icarus challenged.

"Of course I have," Morgan said defiantly.

"Then have you seen for yourself the horrors of war?" Icarus demanded, and his voice became a low, angry growl. "Have you watched the last spark of life fade from the eyes of a loved one as she laid dying in your arms? Have you heard the final, terrified cries of your children – your own flesh and blood, who you had once sworn to protect at any cost?"

"Are you self-centered enough to think that you're the only one who's ever lived through such horrors?" Morgan countered.

"I am quite certain that I am not," Icarus replied, calming quickly. "And that is the crux of my very existence."

Icarus turned and walked up to the edge of the summit, placing both of his hands upon the rails as he peered down at the city below.

"Monolith was once a far grander place than this," Icarus began. "Though we remained isolated from the world by the treacherous waters surrounding us, Monolith once boasted a dozen vast cities, each with many times the population of Sol Hearth. This island country was a beautiful place, teeming with life and happiness. No one found themselves wanting for food or shelter. Artists and musicians worked passionately and tirelessly to brighten our homes, while sages followed their endless pursuit of knowledge, perpetually searching for ways to better our lives.

"Once upon a time, we had everything, Morgan. Then, humanity's madness took ahold of us, and we destroyed it all. Many were content to live their peaceful lives, but without challenge – without genuine danger – some began to find our calm existences… lacking. All of a sudden, our smithies ceased building tools with which to create, and started building weapons with which to destroy. We ceased searching for magical solutions to ease our lives, and sought new means by which to kill. The food and medicines that we once had aplenty became resources to fight over and control. In mere months, we managed to tear apart a hundred thousand lives, destroying what had taken us over two centuries of peace to build."

"And the Solcryst was your solution? Keeping your people weak and miserable, so that they can never hope to rebuild what had been destroyed?" Morgan interrupted accusingly.

"This was not the solution I had sought," Icarus admitted. "Rather, it was the responsibility I stumbled upon… a responsibility that only I could bear, and that I must continue to bear."

"Responsibility?" Morgan echoed, her face shining with incredulity.

A remorseful, pitiable laugh escaped Icarus's lips. "I set out in search of a way to repair the damage my people had wrought upon themselves," he explained. "But I failed. All I ever found was the Solcryst… a promise of peace for my people at the cost of my own. Though I need not sleep, I still dream. Not a moment passes without me wishing I could leave my people be."

Icarus walked up to the Solcryst, and pressed both of his palms to the great crystal's shimmering surface. Unlike Morgan, he did not seem to be bothered by the light, and stared straight into it even as the young tactician was forced to look away.

"But I cannot. Insight. Immortality. Nigh omnipotence," Icarus whispered. "These were the curses I had found. I was one of many to recognize humanity as its own worst enemy, but the only one with the power to truly change our fate. The Solcryst affords the people of Monolith a common enemy in the darkness and the Nightmares, creating a harsh enough world to compel my people to stand united. As such, Monolith has already known nearly a millennium of relative peace and harmony, and will know many more under my reign."

"Peace and harmony?" Morgan asked, shaking her head with disgust. "How many of your people have been killed by the Nightmares? How many died when you destroyed two of your own cities, just to keep the Seekers from finding out the truth?"

"Many people have died," Icarus said indifferently. "But that's what people do, Morgan. In the end, it is not how they died that matters. In their brief lives, my people taste of happiness and hope, and learn to accept the inevitability of death with conviction. Consider your aggrieved friend, Helios."

Morgan stiffened at the mention of her friend. "What about him?" she demanded sharply.

"He, like many, has suffered many losses throughout his life," Icarus said. "Those losses did not break him, and only spurred him on to fight further… and even embroiled as he was in that ultimately futile effort, he knew friendship and love. He was driven by dreams of the future."

Icarus turned to face Morgan once more, and his dark eyes shimmered knowingly.

"And then you showed him the truth, and he accompanied you here to Sol Sanctus," Icarus said. "Here, in the hallowed halls he once swore to protect, he was reunited with his dear friends, and found their paths irreconcilable."

"You brought Tohl and Crescent here on purpose," Morgan realized aloud. "You wanted us to have to fight our way through them."

"As I told you before, this is far from the first time that I've been challenged," Icarus replied sadly. "It is a story all too familiar to me, and one that I needed to show you. Did it break Helios to cross blades with his best friend of nearly a decade? Did it break him to kill the woman who loved him, a woman that he secretly cherished as well? Is this what you wanted for him?"

Morgan resisted the urge to scoff, and instead backed away, trying to appear timid. "Y-you're no god, torturing your people this way," she whispered. "You're a monster."

"What I've shown you today is but a glimpse of the horror that is mankind devouring itself," Icarus promised. "I condemn my people to the darkness, because I know it to be the better fate by far. I grant them lives filled with hope and promise, where even the worst of defeats can only fuel their courage and determination."

Morgan continued backing away, and soon hit one of the rails.

"Gaze upon the homes of my people," Icarus instructed. "Imagine them as they go about their daily lives. Does any of their perceived misery truly compare to your friend's suffering tonight?"

Feigning reluctance, Morgan turned and looked down at the distant city below.

"Think carefully, Morgan," Icarus urged. "In all the time you've spent here in Monolith, how many of my temples have you seen? How many of my worshippers have you met? The Solcryst exists not for my sake, but to better the lives of everyone in Monolith. Do you still wish to destroy the Solcryst, and steal away the blessings I have bestowed upon my people – blessings which they remain fully ignorant of?"

Morgan could practically hear the confident smile tugging at the self-proclaimed deity's lips. She, too, smiled, but did not move otherwise. The two of them maintained their frozen tableau for quite some time.

Then the moment Morgan had been waiting for arrived; the light of the Solcryst flickered and began to recede. Morgan spun around, beaming triumphantly when she found Icarus staring as the Solcryst in astonishment and horror.

"W-what… what have you done?" Icarus gasped.

"Not I," Morgan said innocently. "I've been here listening to you talk this entire time, haven't I?"

Icarus rounded up her swiftly and angrily, his eyes alit with a newfound, burning hatred. "Liar!" he roared, and for the first time, he seemed to be on the verge of losing control. "What have you done to the Solcryst!?"

"Absolutely nothing," Morgan winked. "Now Hel, on the other hand… I don't think you managed to break him quite as completely as you think. In fact, I'm pretty sure he and Cress just finished lighting the Sun Forge. Hey, do you think they'll remember to make me a present while they're down there? Ooh, I'd love to have a sword of my own!"

Icarus blanched. "T-the Sun Forge?" he stammered. "H-how did you…"

"How'd I know the Sun Forge would drain away the Solcryst's power?" Morgan said slyly. "I guessed, of course. My guesses have been pretty good lately. Do you remember how you tried to kill my friends and I atop the Sun Spire? That made a little bit of sense, since you couldn't have known what we were capable of… but you destroyed the other Sun Spire the same way, and that time, you acted far too quickly."

"Too quickly?" Icarus asked, baffled.

"My friends and I were in Aquila's Ascent when it happened," Morgan explained. "We were battling the Seekers just before the Sun Spire was destroyed, so the Seekers couldn't possibly have captured the Sun Spire. Simply cutting off the flow of magic from the Solcryst to the Sun Spire would have taken care of all of your problems, without forcing you to eventually rebuild the Sun Spire… unless, of course, you never designed the Solcryst to work that way."

Icarus swallowed nervously. He fell silent, his horrified expression frozen upon his face.

"The Solcryst glows more brightly during the day, because it's drawing its power from light," Morgan continued. "That's why the Sun Forge is only ever lit during the day, too, isn't it? So, now that it's running at night, and you have no way of cutting it off, how much power do you have left at your disposal? Even if it were safe for you to overload the Sun Forge the same way you did the Sun Spires – which I doubt, since it requires so much more power and rests at the base of Sol Sanctus – does the Solcryst have enough power left, I wonder?"

Morgan smiled unassumingly, trying her best to hide her unease as her hand inched closer Alondite's hilt. She knew she was on the verge of victory, but she could still sense the Solcryst's great power, and knew that even a single mistake could cost her dearly.

The sound of Morgan's sword being unsheathed snapped Icarus straight out of his dazed stupor. As quickly as she could manage, Morgan swiped her sword forward, sending a shockwave at the Solcryst, but she was already too late. Icarus threw himself between Morgan and the Solcryst, and though Alondite's magic tore through his robes, drawing blood, he remained standing.

Shrugging off the powerful blow, Icarus thrust one hand in Morgan's direction, and a flurry of seething, silvery flames burst forth, driving the young tactician aside.

By the time Morgan recovered, Icarus had turned his back on her, and was facing the Solcryst once more. The great crystal pulsed with light. The four Sun Spires answered the Solcryst's call, and the pricks of light in the distance momentarily grew brighter.

Then the horizon went dark. Icarus swiveled around, glowering at Morgan. "Well done, Morgan," he hissed, a dangerous note creeping into his voice. "You have managed to force my hand. You – a mere child – have doomed the four remaining Reaches."

Trying her hardest not to think of those still living out in the Reaches, Morgan did not rise to the taunt. Clenching her teeth determinedly, she slashed Alondite through the air again, sending forth another wave of energy to strike the Solcryst.

The Solcryst flashed again when struck, and produced a soft tinkling noise, akin to glass beads scattered across a hard surface. It then resumed its gradual, graceful twirl, apparently unharmed by Morgan's attack.

"The Solcryst can easily defeat your meager efforts," Icarus said fiercely. "Its power now comes at the expense of the Sun Spires and of thousands of lives, but the same fate would befall the Reaches if the Solcryst were to be destroyed."

"Dawn is less than an hour away. The Reaches will hold their own until then," Morgan retorted, speaking more to reassure herself than to argue with Icarus. Before storming Sol Sanctus, she had wondered how precise their timing would be, and whether the Reaches would be able to survive a few hours of a natural night without their Sun Spires. Now, she was more concerned with whether she could destroy the Solcryst in time.

Knowing that striking at the Solcryst again was futile, Morgan directed her next attack at Icarus instead.

"You dare!?" Icarus roared, reflexively drawing the Sun Spire's power into himself. A pair of lucent, angelic wings sprouted from his back, spreading wide, and the Solcryst's guardian began shining once more, though not nearly as brightly as he had when Morgan first ascended to Sol Sanctus's summit.

The Solcryst lost its protective sheen at the same time, and Morgan struck at it again, only for Icarus to intercept the blow. Just as Alondite's magic had failed to damage the Solcryst before, it could not overcome Icarus's protective aura.

A fountain of light erupted from Icarus's right hand. The scattered light quickly came into focus, shaping itself into a blade with the same curved shape as the swords carried by the Sun Guard. "Never again shall you see the light of day!" he thundered.

Morgan raised Alondite defensively, but Icarus did not move to attack. Instead, he gestured with his sword. Shadows oozed from its blade, billowing outward ominously like a cloud of smoke. Before long, Sol Sanctus's summit had been fully enveloped by the magical darkness.

Morgan quickly suppressed the urge to panic. "You can do this, Morgan," she whispered to herself, focusing on the only thing she could see: the shining blade of Icarus's sword. The young tactician parried her opponent's first forward swing, then instinctively began backing away, trying to take her opponent's measure.

Icarus's sword chased after her, a lone beacon of light twirling and dancing through the otherwise impenetrable darkness. Morgan began thinking furiously. She knew she was physically outclassed, for her opponent was larger and stronger than she was, with longer reach to boot. To make matters worse, though Icarus's attacks weren't all perfectly accurate, he was clearly very skilled with the sword, judging from his graceful and measured attack routines.

A curious thought crossed Morgan's mind, then. She took an exaggerated step away, stamping down as loudly as possible, before darting back the other way, moving lightly to make as little noise as possible. Icarus's attack went wide, missing his target by several feet and confirming Morgan's suspicions: Icarus had blinded himself, too.

Morgan began backing away again, making no effort to disguise her location as she began circling along the perimeter of the summit. Though she could no longer see the rails, she thought back to her training, and did her best to picture her surroundings in her mind's eye. She continued retreating as she carefully undid her pouch from her sash. Mentally crossing her fingers, she tossed the pouch behind her, diving forward a split second later.

There was a soft thump as Morgan's pouch hit the ground, approximating the sound of one of her footsteps. Then there was a louder thump, followed by a surprised grunt, as Icarus crashed directly into the rail while giving chase. A second later, Morgan came out of her roll, and a satisfying crack split the air as Alondite's blade tore into the Solcryst.

Icarus howled, as if in pain. The magical darkness faded almost instantaneously, and when Morgan saw the deep gouge she had left up the Solcryst, she tried to strike again.

Icarus countered quickly, transferring his protective aura back to the Solcryst, brightening it and deflecting Morgan's attack. Morgan spun and fired a wave of energy at Icarus, but she was too slow; Icarus promptly drew the luminescent aura back to himself, then charged again, forcing Morgan aside.

With little hope of retrieving her pouch, Morgan quickly considered her remaining options. Icarus was too fast for her to strike at either him or the Solcryst individually. She had to strike at them both, somehow, but for that, she needed…

"Ellie!" Morgan cried, untying her sap from her sash and flipping it high into the air.

Right on cue, Yuelle launched herself from Morgan's shoulder, catching the sap and gliding past Icarus. Icarus turned to intercept her, but Morgan seized the chance to strike – not at the Solcryst, but at Icarus himself.

"No!" Icarus growled defiantly, as the devious young tactician's intent became clear. He was too late to dodge out of the way, though, and had no choice but to keep the protective barrier over himself, absorbing Alondite's magical projectile even as Yuelle slammed Morgan's sap against one of the Solcryst's many facets.

Another large crack appeared in the Solcryst. Icarus flinched as if he had been struck, then spun and shot a gout of silver flames towards Yuelle, who had no choice but to abandon the sap. Icarus promptly disregarded the jeweled butterfly, incinerating the fallen sap as he moved to remain between Morgan and the Solcryst.

Left with only her sword and tome, Morgan sheathed Alondite. She readied her tome, then turned to flee almost immediately, correctly anticipating that Icarus would charge her again. She then pivoted suddenly, rolling beneath Icarus's outstretched blade.

Concentrating on her tome, Morgan willed forth a magical inferno of her own, allowing her spell to spiral out of control in hopes of making it harder to deflect. Icarus predictably leapt protectively in front of the Solcryst once more, but the flames continued billowing outwards, threatening to spill all around the Solcryst's guardian.

With a gesture, Icarus willed the light surrounding him to stretch outwards, forming a gleaming, oblong disc. Morgan's fiery spell surged forth a second later, splashing harmlessly against the magical barrier.

Morgan could not hide her dismay when her flames dissipated without touching either Icarus or the Solcryst.

Then Icarus's face contorted with shock.

Without any further warning, Severa, Owain, and Helios surged past Morgan. The trio descended upon Icarus, chopping wildly with their weapons. Though Icarus remained impervious to their attacks, he instinctively recoiled, and his countering swipes proved ineffectual.

"The Solcryst! Quickly, go for the Solcryst!" Morgan ordered, suspecting that they were almost out of time.

Severa and Owain tried to obey, breaking off in opposite directions in hopes of making their way past Icarus, but Icarus countered by calling forth an entire wall of sizzling silver flames, stretching across the length of Sol Sanctus's summit.

In the meantime, Helios continued to press his seemingly invulnerable foe, fully embracing his role. Without Severa and Owain fighting at his side, he knew he was leaving himself dangerously exposed, and knew that he was inviting Icarus to strike.

And strike Icarus did. Without fear for his own safety, the Solcryst's guardian went for a furious diagonal chop.

Helios knew he wasn't about to parry the attack and threw himself backward. He knew, too, that he was not about to fully escape the attack, but if Icarus dared to finish the move…

At the very last second, Icarus saw through the ploy. Crescent had been lingering by the stairway unnoticed, waiting for Helios to withdraw. At that exact moment, Crescent rushed out into the open, launching herself into a precise backflip and lining up her bow with the Solcryst. Her arrow soared cleanly over the magical firewall, straight at the heart of the great crystal.

"No!" Icarus cried out again, this time in desperation. He dismissed both his protective aura and the wall of flames, channeling all of his might back into the Solcryst. The Solcryst began shining once more, burning away Crescent's arrow just before it could hit its mark.

Throughout the confusion, Icarus had not noticed Morgan retrieving her pouch.

"Checkmate!" Morgan proclaimed, rolling a small blue gemstone past her companions, right between Icarus's feet. Chilling winds rolled outwards, freezing Icarus where he stood.

Icarus instinctively drew the Solcryst's power back into himself, defrosting himself, but he was already too late. Helios weaved past him and drove both of his blades into the Solcryst, just as Severa and Owain struck at it with their glaive and sword, respectively. Crescent had fired again, too, and even Yuelle had tried to help, throwing herself against the Solcryst as forcefully as she could manage.

Powerless, and struck from almost every direction at once, the Solcryst promptly exploded into millions of lightless crystalline shards.

Icarus's mouth stretched wide, as if to scream out in denial, but no sound came forth. His aura of light began to fade, and when it was gone, the summit of Sol Sanctus was momentarily blanketed in absolute darkness. Then, countless tiny flecks of light began appearing all across the sky, bathing Monolith in a faint silvery glow.

As if he could feel the starlight's soothing caress, Icarus's expression changed, becoming one of serene acceptance. He collapsed without another sound, and given his youthful and unblemished form, it looked as if he had simply fallen asleep beneath the starry sky.

* * *

Morgan stared at Icarus's prone and unmoving form, doing her best to suppress the disappointment welling up inside of her. "We won," she reminded herself firmly. Which was true, even if it had not been the clean victory she had been fighting for.

A myriad of thoughts crossed Morgan's mind then, the most prominent of them the faces of every Sun Guard who Morgan and her companions had slain. Faces that she knew she would forget, only to see again in her dreams. Faces that represented only a fraction of those who had died during the fighting within Sol Sanctus, or battling the Nightmares out in the Reaches. Even with the Solcryst gone and the stars twinkling peacefully above, Morgan did not feel particularly victorious.

But the young and not-so-innocent tactician knew better than to give in to her doubts. There was no sense in dwelling on that which could not be changed. Monolith could only move forward, now.

After taking a deep breath, Morgan looked up, painting a triumphant smile across her lips as she surveyed her companions, all of who were staring at the fallen Sun Warden.

"That's the Sun Warden?" Helios asked, frowning. "He looks… familiar."

"He should," Morgan said, nodding slightly. "We must have passed a hundred statues of him while making our way up through Sol Sanctus. This is – well, was – Icarus, the Sun Warden."

Morgan's words hung thick in the air as Severa, Owain, and Crescent all stared at her disbelievingly.

"Icarus?" Bayn gasped, and Morgan turned to find the older Sun Guard standing at the staircase, propped up between Trance and Ferus.

"Your warp powder took quite a toll on Bayn," Helios explained wryly. He alone did not seem to care much about the Sun Warden's identity. Morgan looked to him curiously, wincing when she saw that she was not alone in hiding her despondent thoughts. She knew the haunted look in Helios's eyes all too well.

Helios looked away, and Morgan resisted the urge to sigh. "We won," she reminded herself again.

"Here, lass," Bayn said. He limped forward and returned Morgan's pearl ring, though his gaze continued alternating between Icarus and the shimmering night sky.

"Thanks," Morgan said quietly, accepting the ring and placing it on her finger. Without consciously thinking of it, she waved her hand, activating her ring yet again.

"Icarus was the Sun Warden?" Severa asked hollowly, finding her voice at last.

Morgan nodded again. "That's where the Nightmares were coming from," she said. "The Solcryst has been magically extending his life for centuries."

"Centuries," Ferus repeated faintly.

"Long enough for him to rewrite all of Monolith's history, at least," Morgan went on. "Now that he's gone, I don't think anyone will be able to tell you exactly how long it's been."

"Or what brought him to this madness," Owain said. "To imprison himself in this place, hidden from the rest of his world… his immortality was but a fool's dream, purchased by countless lives including his own."

"He wasn't after immortality," Morgan said, remembering how she had, for a moment, thought the same thing. "A long time ago, there was a war here in Monolith. Possibly several wars. Icarus lost his family, and began experimenting with magic in hopes of bringing them back. Instead, he managed to create the Solcryst. He lost hope of ever seeing his family again, but couldn't quite let go, either. Instead, he made himself into Monolith's secret god. Using the Solcryst, he destroyed Monolith, leaving only this city. He rewrote his own legend and began stymying Monolith's future, determined to keep war from ever breaking out again."

"How do you know all of that?" Severa asked skeptically.

"He told me," Morgan answered simply. "We talked for a bit while I was waiting for you all to finish lighting the Sun Forge. He was a bit longwinded and cryptic about it all, but I think I've finally managed to piece the truth together. It makes sense now, at least."

"But you're not half as excited as you should be," Severa accused, misreading her younger sister's nonchalance. "You knew about Icarus already, didn't you? Even before we set foot in Sol Sanctus tonight, you knew we'd be challenging a… a god! You knew, and not only did you not warn us, you even sent us away just before confronting him!"

"I did," Morgan admitted. "I knew I'd have to find some way to drain the Solcryst's power, so there was always a chance that we'd have to split up. Would you have agreed to my plan if you knew who or what the Sun Warden was?"

"Well…" Severa began hesitantly.

"And besides, since I didn't know the whole story myself yet, I wasn't sure if the Seekers would believe me," Morgan added, glancing apologetically towards Bayn, Trance, and Ferus.

"We believed you when you told us you were from another world, didn't we?" Ferus asked. "And again when you told us that destroying the Solcryst would bring light back to our skies."

"True. I'm sorry, then," Morgan apologized.

"Don't be, lass," Bayn said soothingly. "Ferus is only messing with you. You did well… more than well. You were brilliant. You led us to a victory that a mere week ago, none of us would've believed possible."

"Victory," Trance echoed. "This feels so… surreal. All of these years, it was the tale of Icarus that kept us going, driving us to set our sights higher and higher, pushing our limits in search of answers that many believed did not exist. We've followed his trail so far, only to find that he was our enemy all along. Is this where his trail leads, then?"

"If it is, it's time to start making our own way," Bayn said. "We always meant to learn from Icarus's faults as well as his triumphs. Now that the truth is known to us, we may begin learning from the real Icarus, too."

"There's still a lot of work to be done," Morgan warned, though she wasn't overly concerned with Monolith's future. Bayn's optimism felt keenly familiar to her, for she had seen the same attitude from nearly all of the refugees living in Water's Edge. It was a promising sign, but one that was bittersweet nonetheless.

"We still need to decide how best to explain this to the rest of our people," Ferus agreed.

"And you'll need to protect those still living in the Reaches, at least until the rest of the Nightmares have been dealt with," Morgan reminded.

"Worry not. We'll find our way," Bayn assured her, though that somber reminder seemed to weigh on him quite heavily.

"The worst is already behind us," Trance agreed. "A month ago, no one in Monolith would have even dreamed of seeing light in the sky. Now, thanks to you, everyone in Monolith will get to see the sunrise with their very own eyes."

"Not everyone," Morgan muttered darkly, too softly for anyone to hear her clearly. At least, that's what she had hoped, but at her words, Severa gave her a sharp look.

"What was that, lass?" Bayn asked.

"Nothing," Morgan said quickly.

"Lay aside your doubts and regrets," Owain advised, and though he looked towards Bayn as he spoke, Morgan could tell the words were meant for her. "Now that Icarus and the Solcryst are gone, you are free to rebuild Monolith however you wish it to be."

"Indeed," Bayn said, nodding. He looked to Morgan. "What about you, lass? You fought for this as hard as any of us. What is it that you'd like to see from Monolith?"

"I'm not sure," Morgan said thoughtfully. "Surprise me, alright? I'll try and visit someday."

"Someday? You're leaving us already?" Ferus asked, an uncharacteristically disappointed look upon his face.

"I'm afraid so," Morgan said reluctantly. "I'm sorry. I'd offer to stay and help, but I don't know anything about building cities. Besides, there's some place I need to be… I think." Morgan's expression grew uncertain, and she felt herself growing weak at the prospect of finally seeing her parents again.

Severa saw through her younger sister easily enough. She smiled, preferring these doubts over the heavier, unanswerable doubts that Morgan had been struggling with before. "It'll be fine, Morgan," she insisted. "It's time for us to go home. Way past time, really."

"I know," Morgan agreed tentatively. She looked to her rift, which was nearly formed. Then she glanced again at Bayn. "Umm… Captain Bayn? Could you and the Seekers do me one last favor?"

"Name it," Bayn agreed immediately.

"Later, when it comes time to explain this all to everyone else in Monolith… could you leave me out of your stories?" Morgan requested.

All three of the Seekers stared at her in surprise.

"Monolith is your home, not mine," Morgan explained. "This struggle against Icarus, and the Solcryst, and the Nightmares… it belongs to you and your people. So does your future. I think it'll be easier for everyone if Monolith forgets about my part in everything that's happened."

Severa, who had experienced the same dilemma several times prior, caught on at once. "Morgan's right," she agreed quickly. "It's probably best if you don't mention the three of us. That way, you'll have one less thing to explain to your people. We don't really need questions following us home, either." She placed a comforting hand on Morgan's shoulder, and though she didn't say it, she was both surprised and glad that the younger girl had chosen the more sensible route in spite of her personal doubts and insecurities.

"If you say so," Bayn agreed, though he still sounded uncertain. "We'll leave you out of the stories if you wish… but I, for one, will certainly remember the three of you, and I doubt anyone else who knows the truth will ever forget what you've done for us."

To Severa's surprise, Morgan seemed more uncomfortable than ever. "Thanks," the young tactician said, and though she was clearly touched by the sincerity and warmth in Bayn's tone, she seemed to be mentally squirming, as if she couldn't wait to be away from Monolith for good.

"Oh, and if you do find time to visit, don't be surprised if you return to find yourself a legend anyways," Ferus snickered. "You're forgetting all of the other Seekers you've already met. Oh, we'll tell them to be quiet and all, but drink tends to loosen lips, and…"

"…and there'll be a lot of drinking in the celebrations to come," Morgan finished. She shrugged. "Oh well. Thanks anyways."

"We'll do what we can," Bayn promised. "Farewell, Morgan."

"Goodbye, and good luck!" Morgan said, mustering as much cheer as she could manage. She turned her attention back to her rift, and her mind began wandering once more.

* * *

As the others were talking, Helios had slipped away, quickly putting their conversation out of mind. Without consciously thinking about it, he stepped gently around the remains of the Solcryst and up to the rails of Sol Sanctus's summit. He leaned against the rail, peering up into the sky, but hardly noticed the stars this time, lost in his thoughts as he was.

"What happened to Tohl wasn't your fault."

Helios flinched, for he hadn't even noticed Crescent approaching him. He turned to find the dark-haired woman standing startlingly close by, her dark amber eyes staring straight into his own, glistening beneath the mesmerizing starlight.

Before he could stop himself, Helios instinctively shrank away. As he pulled away, a shadow briefly flickered across Crescent's gentle face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I just… I didn't notice…" Helios stammered.

"It's alright," Crescent said softly. She offered Helios a warm, understanding smile, hoping to put him at ease.

Understanding? Try as he might, Helios couldn't even explain to himself why he had recoiled the way he did. He had never been shy or nervous around Crescent before.

"What happened to Tohl wasn't your fault, Hel," Crescent repeated herself, more insistently this time.

"What are you talking about?" Helios asked, feeling entirely lost.

"You were thinking about him again, weren't you?" Crescent asked.

"Was I?" Helios murmured. In truth, he couldn't quite remember what he had been thinking about before Crescent made her presence known.

"Well, what were you thinking about then?" Crescent prompted him curiously.

Not knowing what to say, Helios only shrugged. He turned and leaned against the rails, watching in silence as Morgan began conjuring the rift to Water's Edge. A second later, Crescent did the same, sliding closer to Helios in the process. This time, Helios didn't pull away.

"Ever since our fight – if you can call us flailing our weapons while trying to avoid hitting each other a fight – you've been acting strangely," Crescent said softly. "You fight as well as you always have, but once the fighting's over, you seem… timid."

"Timid," Helios echoed tiredly.

"It's like you've been second-guessing everything you say or do, especially around me," Crescent said. "What is it, Hel? What's wrong?"

Helios's first instinct was to protest, and to insist that everything was fine. Crescent's words had struck a chord in him, however. If there was anyone whose judgment he valued above his own, it was the woman standing beside him now. Why, then, was he so quick to dismiss her now?

Again, Helios saw Tohl's lifeless form, propped against the wall in one of Sol Sanctus's many hallways.

"I killed him," Helios whispered.

There was a knowing spark in Crescent's eyes, but she said nothing. Instead, she gently took one of Helios's hands into her own.

"I tried to tell him the truth. I wanted to show him everything," Helios murmured. "Then he seemed to change. I thought he had become someone else entirely. He said such terrible things. We fought. Then it was over. I wanted to save him, but he kept on fighting me, right up until…" His throat went dry, and he found himself unable to finish his sentence.

Crescent moved to stand directly in front of him, her hand still firmly clasped around his. She then leaned forward, pressing herself gently against her dear friend's chest. "Listen to me, Hel," she said quietly, in a pleading tone. "What happened to Hel wasn't your fault."

"Of course it was my fault," Helios said bitterly. "I ran him through, and my swords were left stained with his blood."

"Only because he left you no choice," Crescent insisted. "Hel, if you were as sloppy while fighting him as you were when you fought against me, do you think you'd be alive now? Would Tohl have cast his weapon aside the way I did?"

"That's different. You kept believing in me, even when I was trying so hard to keep the truth from you," Helios argued.

"Just like you would've kept believing in me, had our positions been switched," Crescent said patiently. "Just like you would have listened to Tohl, had it been him trying to tell you the truth"

"Would I have?" Helios asked doubtfully.

"Yes, you would have," Crescent insisted. "I know how much Tohl mattered to you, Hel. You were always more patient and forgiving with him than you were with the rest of the Sun Guard. You were always ready to listen, and you respected whatever he had to say, even when you disagreed with him."

"He was my friend," Helios countered.

Crescent pushed herself back to arm's length, a sympathetic expression on her face. "You were his friend, but he was never yours," she corrected softly. "One time, our patrols were training together, and some of the others began talking about life in the Reaches. Tohl started telling us all about Aquila's Ascent… about his old patrol leaders, about the battles he had fought, and the people he'd known. What do you think he said about you?"

Helios swallowed uncomfortably. When he spoke again, he spoke tentatively, as if he were afraid of the answer. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," Crescent answered simply. "He never mentioned you at all. I've seen you two talking before, Hel. Tohl was a lively and friendly person, willing to strike up a conversation with just about anyone, but to him, you were never anything more than just another familiar face. You never meant even half as much to him as he meant to you."

Helios looked away, stricken.

"But you knew this already, didn't you?" Crescent pressed. "I know you, Hel. You've known Tohl for years… you must have seen the truth about him yourself."

Again, Helios could not bring himself to meet Crescent's gaze. Thinking back to the times he and Tohl had shared, Helios knew that deep down, there had always been a shadow of doubt where his friend and former partner was concerned.

"I didn't want to see it," Helios finally admitted.

"I… I know," Crescent apologized. "That's why I never said anything about it before. You had few enough friends as it was. I didn't want to take him away from you, too."

Suddenly, Helios felt incredibly stupid. He had remained willfully blind for so long, going as far as to blame himself for Tohl's decision. To blame himself, and to push away a friend who had never deserved to be hurt the way he had hurt her.

Helios looked up and forced himself to meet Crescent's gaze. In his shame, he found himself searching desperately for some hint of righteous anger – or even just disappointment – in the friend he had so unjustly wronged. Instead, all he found in Crescent's eyes was sympathy, tinged with the slightest sparkle of hope.

Helios took a deep breath. "You're right, Cress," he apologized. "You're right about everything. I should have known Tohl better. It was stupid of me to blame myself for what happened to him, and even stupider of me to have doubted you afterwards. I'm sorry."

"Oh? Does that mean you're done doubting me now?" Crescent asked, smiling teasingly. "That's a relief; I think we're almost out of time."

"Out of time?" Helios echoed, unsure of her meaning.

Crescent gestured towards the rift Morgan had conjured, which continued to swirl and crackle over the shattered remains of the Solcryst. "Your new friends are leaving soon," she reminded. "Aren't you going with them?"

"I've been considering it," Helios said, frowning. "Now I'm not so sure."

"Well, you'd better make up your mind soon," Crescent said. "For what it's worth, I think you should go. You've never really felt at home in Aquila's Ascent – or here in Sol Hearth, for that matter. There's nothing keeping you here, unless you want to watch what's left of the Sun Guard squabble with these Nihilists who aren't really nihilists about where and how we'll rebuild."

"That's not what's keeping me here," Helios said quietly.

"Oh? Is it a friend of yours, then? A girl, perhaps?" Crescent asked coyly.

"Very funny, Cress," Helios said, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe you should ask her to go with you," Crescent suggested, a longing look in her eyes. "If she's so important to you that you'd stay just to be with her, maybe she'd be willing to go with you instead. Especially if she, too, doesn't have any friends or family keeping her here."

Helios smiled and shook his head in surrender, but he was interrupted before he could say anything more.

"Hel, the rift's just about ready," Morgan sang happily, appearing suddenly at his side.

"Morgan!" Severa scolded, a scandalized look upon her face.

Morgan looked from Helios to Crescent, then back to Helios. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" the young tactician asked apologetically. Her look of wide-eyed innocence seemed just a bit too much to be believed.

"Just a little bit," Helios chuckled, silently thankful for the diversion.

"Sorry," Morgan apologized hastily. "Well, just let me know when you've made up your mind, okay?" She glanced at Crescent. "Cress, you're welcome to come with us, too, if you'd like."

Crescent nodded and smiled. "Thanks."

With that, Morgan bounded off again, scampering off to wait by her sister who continued to stare daggers at her.

Smiling faintly, Crescent watched the younger girl go. "Well?" she prompted, when she and Helios were alone once more.

Helios took a deep breath. "I would like to go along with Morgan and the others," he admitted. "But not without you. Will you come with me, Cress? And can you forgive me for everything I've put you through tonight?"

Crescent reached out and took Helios's hand. "As long as you'll promise never to try and push me away again," she said.

"I promise," Helios agreed, and with that, the two of them moved to join their friends, ready to face their new future together.


	19. Epilogue: Homecoming

**~ Epilogue ~**

 **Homecoming**

Late in the afternoon, a faint crimson glow illuminated the familiar outer walls of Ylisstol. "Ah, home at long last," Owain sighed contentedly, overwhelmed by feelings of nostalgia. "Though how long our respite shall be remains a mystery. The road of the wandering hero winds on, its end hidden from sight."

"Nope. This is the end of our road," Severa said firmly. "Don't you dare think about running off again, Owain. Or did you already forget about our daughter?" As she spoke, she nodded towards Ophelia, who was currently being held by Crescent. Crescent, like Morgan, had instantly taken a liking to the little girl.

"B-but weren't _you_ the one who ran off last time?" Owain protested.

"Was I? That's not how I remember it," Severa said. She blushed and looked away.

"So, this is where you three grew up, huh?" Crescent asked, her gaze slowly sweeping the busy streets around them.

"Yep! Welcome to Ylisstol," Morgan said cheerfully, exaggerating her excitement to hide her nervousness. "What do you think?"

"There's just so many people here, and so many different things happening," Crescent marveled. "It's like this place came straight from the old stories, but it's livelier than anything I could have imagined."

"Oh, that's right! You and Hel both like reading, don't you?" Morgan remembered. "Just wait until you see Dad's library here in Ylisstol. It's the biggest library in all of Ylisse!"

"Really?" Crescent said, intrigued. "The library in Sol Hearth always seemed a bit small to me, but Hel told me the libraries out in the Reaches were even smaller." She glanced at Helios, who only shrugged and continued looking about warily.

Suddenly uneasy, Morgan, too, began looking around for any hints of trouble. "Is something wrong, Hel?" she asked.

"Those guards back at the city gates gave us some rather odd looks," Helios explained.

"Are you really surprised?" Severa said, rolling her eyes and reaching out to prod Morgan's shoulder. "How often do you think they see a thirteen-year-old girl carrying around a sword like Morgan's? Or any sword at all, for that matter?"

A sheepish look came over Morgan. "I guess I should've put my sword away," she said worriedly.

"I doubt it's a big deal," Severa said dismissively.

"It doesn't look like any of them are following us," Helios agreed.

"They likely recognized Morgan, though. They're probably already on their way to Castle Ylisse with the news," Severa added, smiling slyly.

Morgan blanched. "Y-you think so?" she said timidly.

"Castle Ylisse? A real castle?" Crescent asked, her eyes shining with interest.

"Home to Exalt Chrom and his family," Owain confirmed, pointing towards the not-so-distant castle. Castle Ylisse wasn't quite as grandiose as most other castles, but it still loomed high above most of the buildings surrounding it.

"Including _Prince_ Owain here," Severa added.

"And now you," Owain countered. Severa only shrugged, for she hadn't given the matter much thought until now.

"But why would they be interested in Morgan?" Helios asked, concerned by Morgan's nervous reaction. "Morgan, you aren't in trouble with the royal family or anything, are you?"

"No, I…" Morgan began.

"She might be," Severa interrupted mischievously. "Our father is close friends with the Exalt."

"Sis!" Morgan protested loudly. "You promised they wouldn't be mad at me!"

Severa laughed, but knew better than to push her sister any further. "I'm only kidding, Morgan," she said comfortingly. "I promise. Mom and Dad won't be angry with you."

Morgan nodded reluctantly, and they resumed their march, but she stopped again soon after when they came upon one of the larger roads in the city. "Give me a minute, okay? I'll be right back," she said. Then, before anyone could respond, she ducked through the closest door, into a large and crowded tavern.

* * *

Severa stormed into the tavern without another word, not willing to take any chances where her slippery younger sister was concerned. Owain, Helios, and Crescent followed curiously, but Morgan had already disappeared into the throng.

A sense of growing unease plagued Severa as she led the way through the tavern's rowdy patrons. That unease had nearly progressed into full-blown panic when she felt Helios tugging at her wrist.

"She's over there," Helios said, indicating a table near the edge of the room, where Morgan was seated beside an older, grey-haired man.

Relieved and confused all at once, Severa rushed to Morgan's side. "You again!" she exclaimed, recognizing the Fireman at once. "What are you doing here?"

The Fireman eyed Severa calculatingly. "Long time no see," he finally said. Then he nodded towards Morgan. "I came when called."

"Long time?" Severa echoed doubtfully. "It's only been, what, two weeks?"

"Alas, how quickly time flies," Owain said. Severa promptly shushed him.

"Do you know this man?" Helios asked Severa and Morgan, and he seemed even more wary of the Fireman than of the city guards earlier.

"He's the one who sent us to Monolith," Severa replied stiffly. "Morgan, what's this about? You're not still hoping for answers about Calamity, are you?"

"The eidolon? That's what you were hoping to learn more about?" the Fireman asked, turning to Morgan.

Morgan shook her head. "Nope, and I bet you're pretty confused right now, aren't you, Mister Fireman?"

The Fireman simply leaned back in his chair, unimpressed.

"Fifty," Morgan said.

"Fifty?" the Fireman asked.

"You of all people should know that information has its price," Morgan said, her eyes flickering playfully. "I've learned something that I'm sure you'd like to know. Tell you what, though. If you decide it wasn't worth the price after all, I'll return your gold."

"Fifty," the Fireman repeated dubiously, unconvinced that any information worth hearing could be so cheaply purchased.

"Suit yourself," Morgan said uncaringly. She rose to leave.

The Fireman's hand went to his belt, and upon seeing the motion, Helios's hands immediately went to the hilts of his swords. The Fireman was faster though, and before Helios could slide either of his swords more than an inch from their sheaths, a small pouch of coins fell onto the table. The Fireman reached into the pouch, extracting a few coins, then slid the remainder across the table towards Morgan. "Fifty," he repeated a third time, indicating the bag.

Morgan smiled, but made no move for the pouch. "Did you know you have a doppelganger working in Valm?" she asked.

The Fireman's gaze hardened, but he said nothing.

"What are you talking about, Morgan?" Owain tried to interrupt.

Morgan ignored Owain. "I was searching for you across the ocean, in Valm," she explained, her gaze firmly locked upon the Fireman.

"Wrong continent," the Fireman answered tersely.

"I figured as much," Morgan admitted. "So I was just about to come back to Ylisse and search for you, but then you showed up anyways. Only, it wasn't really you, was it?"

The Fireman again fell silent, his expression inscrutable.

"He answers to the same name and greets his potential employers the same way," Morgan said. "He even looks just like you. He was a bit more talkative, though."

The Fireman only stared.

"That's all I had for you," Morgan said, and with a shrug, she slid the coin pouch back towards the Fireman.

The Fireman wordlessly rose to leave, promptly vanishing amidst the nearby crowd without a trace, save for the fifty coins he had left behind.

"What was that all about?" Severa wondered.

"Oh, I just wanted to see him squirm a little," Morgan said happily.

"How did you know the Fireman we met in Valm was a fake?" Owain asked, seeming quite a bit alarmed by the implications.

"I thought back to what Morgan said about him, and it just didn't make any sense," Morgan said. "Why would the real Fireman have needed Dad's help to come to Ylisse if he could travel between Ylisse and Valm so easily?"

"Why are you suddenly talking about yourself in third person?" Helios asked wryly.

"Different Morgan," Severa corrected quickly. "There's another Severa, too." Helios and Crescent both stared at her, as if they weren't entirely sure whether she was joking.

"Also, the Fireman didn't want to sell me the information I went to him for, remember?" Morgan continued. "He ended up selling me the map to Monolith at a fraction of the price. At first, I thought he was just being nice, but… well, he used to be an assassin, according to Morgan."

"An assassin, huh?" Helios mused.

"So I decided the one we met before had to be a fake, and the real one just confirmed it," Morgan concluded, scooping up the coin pouch.

"Or, since you only asked him for fifty gold, he might have decided it was a small price to pay to keep you guessing," Severa suggested dryly.

Morgan paused for a moment, considering that possibility. Then her expression drooped. "I didn't think of that," she admitted.

"Well, you tried," Severa smirked. "Now quit stalling, Morgan. Let's go see Mom and Dad."

"Alright," Morgan reluctantly agreed.

* * *

As night fell over Castle Ylisse, most of its inhabitants retreated indoors. The Shepherd training grounds, located in one of the castle's many small courtyards, was left nearly deserted. Most of the Shepherds – all but one, in fact – had long since left in search of their evening meal.

But Princess Lucina, unofficially the leader of the Shepherds, remained behind, relaxing beneath a barren tree as she watched one of her training dummies fall victim to a relentless stream of magical lightning.

Standing roughly twenty feet away from the dummy, the veteran mage continued his furious barrage. Crackling energy continued to arc from his fingertips, coursing in and out of the dummy and leaving a webbed pattern of scorch marks upon the ground. After several minutes of the impressive display, the mage finally lowered his tome, closing his eyes briefly, for the effort had left him drained.

"I think that's enough, Uncle Robin," Lucina said quietly, her voice edged with sympathy.

In answer, Robin looked up at the dummy again, flicking his wrist. One last bolt of lightning erupted from his palm, a focused beam that rushed forth, momentarily lifting the heavy training prop into the air and flinging it back nearly ten feet.

Robin sighed, and ran one hand through his messy platinum-blond hair. "Probably," he agreed wearily. "This isn't going quite as well as I had hoped. My technique hasn't improved in the slightest."

"That's what you said last week, and the week before that, too."

With a slight grimace, Robin turned to his wife, who was seated on a bench not far from Lucina. The red-haired woman remained as beautiful as ever. Even her waist-length hair was perfectly groomed – a remarkable feat, considering how busy she was both with training the Ylissean Pegasus Knights and the time that went into looking after the couple's fussy teenaged daughter.

"You know how much difference a bit of practice makes," Robin said defensively, when he saw the worried look upon Cordelia's face.

"I think you've gone beyond a 'bit' of practice, at this point," Lucina remarked, a sad smile upon her lips.

"And it still might not be enough. I set my sword aside for a few years, only to find that I could no longer even hold my own against one of your newest recruits," Robin reminded her.

"Because it's been years since you've last needed your sword," Cordelia argued. "And when you decided to start training again, you picked it all back up in less than a month's time."

"If only," Robin disagreed, shaking his head in dismay. "I'm still far slower than I used to be."

"You'll get there," Lucina said reassuringly. "As long as you don't burn yourself out first. There's no hurry, is there?"

Judging from the look on his face, Robin clearly disagreed, but he knew better than to argue.

Then, as usual – for this was an argument the three had shared several times throughout the recent months – Cordelia decided to cut straight to the heart of the matter. "All the training in the world won't bring her back," she said. The words seemed to pain her as much as they did Robin.

As if those simple words had drained all of his strength, Robin seemed to deflate, and for a moment, he looked to be on the verge of collapse. He slowly trudged across the training grounds and seated himself beside Cordelia. "It's been more than two years," he whispered.

"I know," Cordelia said patiently.

"She was only eleven when she left. She's thirteen now. She'll be fourteen soon," Robin went on tiredly.

"I know," Cordelia said again. "Robin, I miss her every bit as much as you do, but there's nothing more we can do. We've tried everything we could think of, and we've had all the help we could've asked for, but she's managed to stay a step ahead of us the entire time."

"There has to be another way… something we haven't thought of yet," Robin insisted, though he sounded desperate and pleading, as if he were simply grasping at straws.

"And when you think of something, we'll try it," Cordelia promised. "But until then, we'll just have to trust her. She'll come back when she's ready."

"In the meantime, there's no sense in working yourself into exhaustion," Lucina added.

"What if she gets into trouble? What if she needs us, and we finally figure out where she is, and there's nothing I can do to help her?" Robin asked, his tone growing more urgent with every word.

"Then us Shepherds will go and help her," Lucina reminded. "And all of the Ylissean army, if needed."

"And what if it's not enough?" Robin demanded.

"Do you really think one more sword or tome would make all the difference?" Lucina pointed out.

"We can keep training with you if you'd like," Cordelia said quickly. "I don't mind, but you really need to pace yourself, Robin."

Robin sighed and said nothing, and when he felt Cordelia tugging gently at his arm, he listlessly laid his head against his wife's shoulder.

"Nothing's going to happen to our little girl," Cordelia assured him. "Her sister's keeping an eye on her, remember? Morgan will let us know right away if her younger self gets involved in anything too dangerous."

That reminder did ease some of Robin's fears. The older Morgan had proved to be as quick of a thinker as ever; realizing she wasn't about to talk her younger self out of leaving, Morgan had instead urged the girl to return to Ylisstol and steal one of the two-way mirrors, so that the two of them could stay in touch.

But his daughter's safety was only one of Robin's great worries. "What if she never comes back?" he whispered.

"She'll come back," Cordelia insisted, reiterating the same answer she had given countless times before. With each utterance, there was less conviction to be found in her words, and even she had to admit that by now, it was more wishful thinking than anything.

"I failed her," Robin said, closing his eyes tightly. "All that time, I should have been listening to her… helping her…"

"Yeah, well, you weren't the only one who wasn't paying attention," Lucina said darkly, remembering quite clearly the incident that had driven the younger girl away from Ylisstol. "But I think she'll forgive you. This is Morgan we're talking about, remember? The little girl who used to curl up beside you in your workshop, refusing to go home with her mother when you were up working late?"

"The one who came by just a few months ago, leaving gifts for both of us with Chrom," Cordelia added. "Please, Robin. We both know she didn't leave because she was angry with you. She was confused, and hurt, and…"

"And way too clever for her own good," Lucina interjected.

Cordelia nodded. "She just needs some time to herself," she insisted, though she had no idea whether or not she was right.

"How much longer?" Robin whispered pleadingly. "Another month? Another year?"

Neither Cordelia nor Lucina had an answer to that.

Thankfully, they didn't need one.

"You know, when the guards told me you three were down at the old training grounds, I sort of figured you'd be training… not slacking off and making faces as if you were preparing for a funeral."

Robin, Cordelia, and Lucina all frozen upon hearing the familiar voice. The three of them tentatively turned towards the doorway, as if they hardly dared to believe what they thought they had heard. Though it had been seven years since any of them had last seen Severa, all three of them recognized her at once, despite her dyed hair.

"Surprised to see me?" Severa smirked, though her feigned smugness could not quite hold up against her own discomfort.

"Severa? Is that you?" Cordelia whispered. She and Robin both rose, almost unconsciously, and began hesitantly approaching their long-lost daughter as if they couldn't quite believe what they were seeing.

Severa swallowed and nodded. "Hello, Mom. Hello, Dad," she said, her bluster falling away. "I'm… I'm home. And umm… I'm sorry I was gone for so long." She shot Lucina a sidelong glance. "Hey, Lucy," she added, grinning weakly.

"It's you. It's really you," Robin murmured.

"Uh-huh," Severa nodded. "Oh, and there's something I wanted to ask you, too." She turned and poked her head back into the hallway where Morgan was waiting, white as a sheet. "You didn't happen to misplace one of my little sisters while I was gone, did you?"

Before either Robin or Cordelia could register their eldest daughter's words, Severa seized Morgan by the wrist and dragged her out into the open.

Robin and Cordelia froze completely, and in their state of shock, a gentle breeze would likely have knocked both of them over.

"Umm… hi," Morgan said shyly, shrinking back.

"I ran into Morgan and her friend on my way through Valm," Severa explained lightly. "She seems to think you're angry with her, Dad, and it wasn't easy for me to convince her otherwise. So, don't you _dare_ mess this up again. Okay?"

Robin hardly heard Severa's warning as he stumbled towards Morgan, his jaw agape as if he were in a trance. Then, without warning, he scooped his youngest daughter up in both arms, lifting her clean off the ground and hugging her as tightly as he could.

"Ow! Not so tight, Dad!" Morgan complained, but not too loudly.

"You're safe… you're home…" Robin whispered, tears of joy and relief flowing freely down his face.

Morgan sniffled, trying to stifle her own tears. "Yeah, I… I'm back," she said. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"I'm sorry too, Morgan," Robin croaked, the only words he could manage.

Several seconds went by as neither father nor daughter moved to let go, until finally, Cordelia tugged impatiently at Robin's arm. Robin understood and finally set Morgan down, and the little girl promptly threw herself into her mother's arms.

"I missed you, Mom," Morgan said, her voice muffled.

"We missed you, too," Cordelia said warmly, somehow maintaining her composure, although her eyes were glistening, too. "Morgan, listen to me, okay? No matter what happens, you'll always have a home here."

"But…" Morgan began. She hesitated, afraid of accidentally rekindling an old argument.

Yuelle seemed to sense Morgan's distress, and revealed herself, climbing out from Morgan's hood and onto her shoulder.

"Is… is it okay if Ellie stays with me?" Morgan asked tentatively, dreading the answer.

"Of course," Robin replied immediately, to Morgan's great relief. "I'm so sorry, Morgan. I never should have tried to be rid of her in the first place," he apologized. "I was only worried for you. For both of you."

"All that matters is that you two are safe and happy," Cordelia quickly agreed. "And if any trouble does happen to find you, we'll all be here to help."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Morgan said quickly. "Henry's magic has been very stable."

"Then you haven't run into any more of those wraiths?" Robin asked, comforted by the thought.

Morgan winced. "I… umm…" she stammered, before shooting her older sister a pleading look.

Unable to help it, Severa began laughing. "Just a handful," she offered playfully. "Like, a couple hundred or so."

Robin only stared silently at Severa, his eyes widening in horror. Cordelia and Lucina looked similarly alarmed, the latter reaching instinctively for her sword as if she feared they were about to be attacked.

"But they had nothing to do with Ellie," Morgan said insistently, glaring at Severa. "Ellie won't be any trouble at all. I promise."

"If you say so," Robin said, and though he seemed unconvinced, he let the matter drop, at least for the time being.

At the same time, Morgan began thinking of Monolith again, wondering how she'd eventually explain everything that had happened. That led her to think of the friends they had brought back with them. "Oh! I nearly forgot!" she suddenly exclaimed. "A couple of our friends came here to Ylisstol with us. I promised I'd help them find a place to stay, but could they stay with us until then?"

"Actually, Morgan, I think Helios and Crescent would rather have a bit of privacy," Severa interrupted, giving her younger sister a meaningful look.

Morgan looked puzzled for a moment, but she caught on quickly. "Oh, right," she said, blushing. "Never mind then."

"Why don't you let them stay in your mansion?" Cordelia suggested.

"Morgan's _what_!?" Severa exclaimed. She stared at her younger sister, who seemed just as confused as she was.

"Yuelle understands us, right?" Robin asked, glancing worriedly at the jeweled butterfly.

Morgan nodded as Yuelle flapped her wings lazily.

"Yuelle, your father did not last long in prison," Robin explained sadly. "Your mother fell ill a couple of months later. The healers and herbalists we sent to her were unable to help, and she passed away a short while after."

Yuelle's wings had perked up at the mention of her father's fate, but drooped almost immediately afterwards.

"Neither of them had any family left," Robin added. He turned to Morgan. "Just before she passed, Yuelle's mother came to your mother and I, and showed us the letter that you had left for her."

"Which letter was that?" Morgan frowned. While she remembered leaving a letter for Yuelle's mother just before departing from Ylisstol, she couldn't quite remember what it had said.

"You apologized for being unable to help her and her daughter before it was too late, and promised to keep taking care of Yuelle," Cordelia said.

"Oh, right," Morgan said. She glanced at Yuelle sheepishly. "I think Ellie's been looking after me, actually," she admitted, and at that, Yuelle seemed to straighten proudly, flourishing her wings. "But what does this have to do with a… oh! She left us her home?"

"And everything else she owned, too," Robin added.

"We weren't sure what you'd want us to do with it all, so we moved most of it into the castle treasury for safekeeping," Lucina said. "It's all yours, though."

"Oh," was the only word Morgan could manage. The thought of the veritable fortune that had unexpectedly fallen into her hands was more than a little bit daunting. All of a sudden, she became conscious of the sizable amount of gold she was carrying on her person already.

"There's no hurry," Robin said, noticing Morgan's confusion. "We can leave it in the treasury until you need it. I'm sure Chrom won't mind." He changed the subject then, turning to his oldest daughter. "It's great to see you, too, Severa."

"Where have you been, anyways?" Lucina asked, frowning. "After you and Owain disappeared, Morgan – our Morgan, that is – tracked you all the way to Valm."

"She spent nearly an entire summer in Valm, searching for you, before finally giving up. She said it was like you two vanished into thin air," Cordelia said, sounding just as curious.

"Inigo disappeared, too. He left Ferox right about when you and Owain supposedly did," Lucina added.

"It's a bit of a long story," Severa said uncomfortably, suddenly remembering her undelivered letter to Inigo's parents. "Though, Owain came home with us, too."

"Really? Where is he now?" Lucina asked, eager to see her cousin again.

"I think he's off to show our daughter to his parents," Severa explained, blushing slightly when she saw both her parents and Lucina smiling at each other knowingly. "A lot's happened."

"Aunt Lissa should be down at the dining hall. Why don't we go join them? You can tell us everything over dinner," Lucina offered.

"Sure," Severa agreed, though, like Morgan, she wasn't entirely sure how much she and Owain were ready to share.

After briefly tidying up the training grounds, the six of them – including Yuelle, who fluttered cheerfully in circles around Morgan – set off towards the dining hall. As they went, Morgan reached out to take both her parents' hands.

For the first time in more than two years, everything in the world seemed just right to the young and road-weary tactician.

* * *

Morgan whistled happily as she shut her bedroom door behind her and settled down by her desk. After only three days, her life in Ylisstol was almost entirely back to normal. The city was just as she had remembered it, as were most of its people.

Morgan still wasn't entirely sure what to do with her newfound wealth; the fortune Yuelle's parents had left to her turned out to be even larger than she had initially thought. She had pressed a fair amount of gold upon her reluctant father, mostly to alleviate her own guilt for everything she had taken before leaving Ylisstol, but that still left her with more than she could ever remember using.

Unfortunately, though there were plenty of loose ends left to be tied up and unanswered questions to be puzzled through, money alone didn't seem to be the answer. "Maybe I can convince Uncle Chrom to sell me Water's Edge," Morgan quietly mused. She had yet to tell anyone else in Ylisstol about Water's Edge, but while passing through the island village, she had noticed that the ship the villagers were building was nearly finished. The Valmese refugees couldn't remain unnoticed forever.

On a similar note, Morgan hadn't mentioned Monolith to anyone, either. She had been intentionally vague with the details, and so far, everyone had simply assumed that Helios and Crescent – who were now living together in Yuelle's old mansion – hailed from Chon'sin. Morgan had a feeling the truth would slip out sooner or later, though.

"Hidden truths," Morgan muttered, and a triumphant smile slowly spread across her lips. To the young tactician's great disappointment, neither her sister nor Owain had volunteered any further details of their own misadventure. In this regard, thankfully, Morgan had thought of a solution. In fact, she had thought of a solution quite some time ago, and now, she finally had some time to think.

To think, and to read.

With a silent apology to her presently absent sister, Morgan reached deep into her traveling pouch and retrieved a small, ragged book bound in worn leather, filled with pages of Severa's immaculate handwriting.

As Morgan gingerly opened her sister's diary, Yuelle settled herself upon the young tactician's shoulder, and the two began reading eagerly.

* * *

As with every morning since the destruction of the Solcryst, the sun dawned upon Sol Hearth, casting its warm, comforting rays across the summit of Sol Sanctus. Icarus's body had been removed and respectfully interned, but the fragments of the Solcryst lied undisturbed, for the newly freed people of Monolith had little idea of what to do with them. In fact, ever since the first day following Icarus's defeat, no one had found any reason to ascend to the tower's summit.

Until now.

A grey-haired man dressed fully in black, a spitting image of the Fireman, emerged from within the tower. The assassin – or rather, a magical puppet in the exact image of the assassin – approached the ruined crystal, carefully inspecting its remains. He then gave a short, satisfied nod, and stepped aside, waiting patiently.

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours, and still the grey-haired man did not move. He simply stood and waited, until finally, just as the sun reached its zenith, something large soared overhead, casting an ominous shadow. Leathery wings beat loudly, heralding the approach of something far larger and far deadlier than the Nightmares Monolith had known.

A mighty skeletal dragon, fully fifty feet in height with bones seemingly hewn from darkness itself, landed directly beside his magical emanation. The golden pricks of flame swirling within the creature's hollow eye sockets flared as the menacing creature took note of the residual magic in the Solcryst's crystalline shards. Then he began to laugh, a horrible, grating laugh that would have sent any ordinary man or woman scrambling for cover.

"Ah, you are a remarkable one, young Morgan," Calamity crowed triumphantly. "You have laid low a god, the hidden king of this land. Now, a new god shall be born."

Responding to the eidolon's incredible power, the shards of the Solcryst trembled. Slowly, eerily, the fragments began to float and gather, reassembling themselves into something new, yearning to serve a new master.


End file.
